Apr 18, 2024 - 19:33
By huffpost.com

Julia Louis-Dreyfus Recalls 'Awful' Mistake Nurse Made While She Gave Birth

Playing a beloved sitcom character has its privileges ― but maybe not during labor.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus said a nurse mistakenly called her “Elaine,” the actor’s “Seinfeld” alter ego, when her water broke before the delivery of her and husband Brad Hall’s oldest son, Henry Hall, in 1992.

At the time, she was in the midst of the show’s storied prime-time reign.

On an episode of her “Wiser Than Me” podcast released Wednesday, Louis-Dreyfus and celebrity chef Ina Garten were discussing how fans get so attached to TV characters that they feel they know the real people behind them.

“You’re in their home, so they feel relaxed with your presence,” the 11-time Emmy winner said.

“And they feel like you’re a friend.” Garten chimed in.

“Correct. Which can be lovely. There is a downside to it, though,” Louis-Dreyfus replied before launching into her cautionary tale.

“I was giving birth, and when you’re in labor, they put that monitor around your tummy,” she said. “And I was in the bathroom, and I was naked, and I had the thing around my tummy, and I was massive, by the way. And I gained like 50 pounds when I was pregnant. And I was standing there and my water broke, and all of a sudden a nurse came into the room, and I went, ‘My water broke!’ OK — reminding you — naked. And she goes, ‘Elaine!’ It was so awful. Isn’t that crazy?”

Sometimes even famous people get overenthusiastic about “Seinfeld” alums. Complex noted that singer Kesha once tried to hug Jerry Seinfeld on a red carpet and he rejected her, an experience that she has since called the “saddest moment of my life.”