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Hillary Swank was glowing, quite literally, with excitement when she announced that she was expecting her third child last week.
On Wednesday, the 52-year-old actress posted an Instagram video of herself - alongside her three-year-old twins, Aya and Ohm, and her husband, entrepreneur Philip Schneider - dancing in a dark room with glow sticks taped to their bodies. On her stomach, she had fashioned a technicolor stick figure baby out of glow sticks.
'A lot of people have been asking what project I’m doing next, this one releases in December,' she captioned the post.
Swank had initially wanted to share her joyous news weeks ago, an insider now tells the Daily Mail, but ultimately waited after learning of the death of her ex-husband Chad Lowe's daughter, Fiona.
Fiona, 13, died by suicide on September 29, leaving actor Lowe, 58, mourning one of the three beloved daughters he shares with his wife Kim Painter, 52.
Swank and Lowe split amicably in 2006 after eight years of marriage, and insiders say that announcing a pregnancy so soon after the tragedy would have looked painfully insensitive.
Swank is pregnant with her third child three years after the birth of her twins
With Swank and Chad Lowe having split amicably in 2006 after eight years of marriage, insiders say announcing a pregnancy so soon after his daughter died would have looked painfully insensitive
Lowe's 13-year-old daughter Fiona died by suicide on September 29, leaving the actor mourning one of his three beloved daughters (pictured with wife Kim Painter and daughters Nixie, Fiona and Mabel in 2023)
'The timing could have been really bad, because announcing something like that so close to such tragic news would have opened her up to a lot of criticism online, even if it was unintended,' the source said.
'Especially since they were once a couple themselves. She obviously would never think of making that announcement had she known what Chad was going through.'
Indeed, our insider said it was a 'must' for Swank to 'hold off' - and that she was grateful to have learned the news in time.
'She is so thankful that it turned out that way because she would never have wanted to add to his grief inadvertently,' the source added.
Although Swank was mindful of her former husband's loss, the source said the pair have not spoken in years.
'It has been well over a decade since both Chad and Hillary have talked. They aren't friends, but they also aren't enemies and she feels very bad about Chad's situation, it is very sad and if she happens to cross paths with him ever in the future, they will be cordial with each other, but it will be brief.'
The insider added: 'As for reaching out recently to send condolences, she's not talking about whether she did it or not.'
'She is so thankful that it turned out that way because she would never have wanted to add to his grief inadvertently,' the source added. (Pictured: Swank with husband Schneider in 2023)
In 2006, Swank and Lowe announced their separation after eight years of marriage and more than 13 years together
Yet the actress appeared mindful of her ex-husband's loss when she posted her sweet announcement video - nearly a week after Lowe made a small return to the public eye following Fiona's death.
Last Wednesday, Lowe reposted a video to his Instagram Stories featuring Irish writer Gerry Hussey discussing the soul after death.
Hussey said: 'We are connected to everything that is. It just makes sense, and there's nothing there but peace and love. So when we die, where do we go? We return to a state of peace and love.'
While the sentiments seemed painfully relevant to the family's loss, Lowe added no comment of his own to the repost.
Fiona was the middle of Lowe and Painter's three daughters. The couple, who began dating shortly after his 2006 divorce from Swank, also share Mabel, 17, and Nixie, ten.
It was Mabel who later shared a heartbreaking tribute to her younger sister on October 3.
'I wish your short time here was easier and I hope your mind is at ease now. I will honor you forever and keep your memory alive. I love you, I hope you knew just how much,' she wrote.
The tribute came after the Lowe family announced Fiona's passing, describing their devastation at losing 'a loving young girl who was smart, creative and loved to dance'.
'She was adored by her sisters and she was deeply loved by her parents,' the statement continued. 'In fact, she was the light of our lives.'
The family also urged anyone struggling with their mental health to seek support.
Swank and Lowe's romance began in 1992, when they met at a party at the Hollywood Athletic Club shortly after Swank turned 18.
They later co-starred in 1995's Quiet Days in Hollywood and married in September 1997.
The couple stayed together through Swank's early career breakthroughs, including her first Academy Award for Boys Don't Cry in 2000.
Famously, she omitted Lowe from that acceptance speech - but after winning her second Oscar for Million Dollar Baby on February 27, 2005, she thanked him first, calling him 'my everything.'
'It has been well over a decade since both Chad and Hilary have talked. They aren't friends, but they also aren't enemies and she feels very bad about Chad's situation,' the source added
On January 9, 2006, Swank and Lowe announced their separation after eight years of marriage and more than 13 years together.
Swank later told Vanity Fair that Lowe's substance-abuse issues had strained the marriage, though she stressed they were not the only cause, saying: 'If I had to sum it up to one particular thing, I would say that we grew apart.'
Lowe has publicly acknowledged his own struggles with substance abuse. In a 2007 interview, he said: 'I don't deny that I had a problem and that it strained our relationship,' adding that he had been sober for nearly four years at the time.
Their divorce was finalized on November 1, 2007.
Swank went on to date several high-profile men. She was linked to her agent John Campisi from late 2006 until 2012, then French real-estate broker Laurent Fleury from 2012 to 2015.
In 2016, she became engaged to former tennis pro Ruben Torres, but the pair split before walking down the aisle. She later met businessman Schneider, now 54, on a blind date, and they married on August 18, 2018. In April 2023, they welcomed twins Aya and Ohm.
Lowe, for his part, was linked to producer and casting director Painter in January 2007, and the couple married in August 2010 after welcoming their first child.
'Obviously, they both have moved on with their lives, but they were both important to each other's lives for so long that the situation Chad is dealing with is heartbreaking,' our insider said.
'She couldn't even imagine what he must be going through.'
The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Swank and Lowe for comment.
If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org.
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