Harry Potter Actress, Jessie Cave Opens Up About The Awkward Way She Broke Pregnancy News To A One-Night Stand
The pregnancy announcement that went wrong in every possible way.
Life has a way of throwing curveballs when you least expect them, and sometimes those curveballs come with nine months of preparation time.
For most people, discovering an unexpected pregnancy is stressful enough without adding the complication of having to break the news to someone you barely know.
Now imagine trying to have that conversation over text message while sitting on a train with spotty cell service. That’s essentially what happened to actress Jessie Cave, and the story is exactly as uncomfortable as it sounds.
Cave is probably best recognized for playing Lavender Brown in the Harry Potter film series, the overly enthusiastic girlfriend who famously called Ron Weasley “Won-Won.”
But in real life, her romantic story involves far less magic and considerably more awkwardness. Since her time in the wizarding world, she’s built a career in stand-up comedy, often mining her personal life for material that’s equal parts honest and cringe-inducing.
During a recent appearance on the Have A Word podcast, Cave walked listeners through one of those career-defining personal moments: the time she had to inform a one-night stand that he’d gotten her pregnant.
The conversation didn’t go smoothly. Bad timing, clumsy communication, and tech problems hit all at once, turning a private moment into a story she now uses as a warning about modern dating.
The couple had a one-night-stand after their first date
David M. Benett/Dave Benett/WireImageCave’s unexpected pregnancy stemmed from a brief encounter with Alfie Brown, a fellow comedian she’d crossed paths with during the 2012 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Though they’d been familiar with each other professionally, their relationship shifted after going on a single date that ended with them spending the night together.
What followed was radio silence. Neither reached out, and both seemed content letting the moment fade into memory. Four months passed before Cave made a discovery that would change everything.
When she sat down for the podcast, she didn’t sugarcoat the timeline: “I didn’t tell him I was pregnant until I was four months pregnant.”
The conversation about how she eventually delivered the news took an even more uncomfortable turn. Cave explained she attempted to inform Brown via text while traveling by train; a decision made worse by patchy mobile reception that caused her messages to arrive completely out of sequence.
She walked through her approach: “The first thing I text him was, ‘Hiya, we need to talk’. I didn’t want to be rejected because I needed him to talk. I was trying to do a text that was like s*xy and aloof, but ‘you have to meet me’.”
Brown’s response didn’t waste time with pleasantries. He shot back, asking if she was ‘pregnant or diseased’.
Cave decided directness was her only option at that point: “I text back, ‘Look, I didn’t want to tell you this way, but I’m pregnant, and I’m 16 weeks along. I’m calling it Bam, and it’s a boy.”
Cave and Brown went on to have three more kids together
Have A Word
Technology had other plans for how the baby revelation would unfold. Because of the train’s unreliable connection, Brown didn’t receive Cave’s carefully worded explanation.
Instead, the only thing that made it through to his phone was an ultrasound image showing the baby he’d unknowingly fathered.
“All he gets is the scan photo of this human that he’s made, and then the other texts just don’t go through for like an hour. I had to tell him by text in the end.”
For sixty minutes, Brown stared at that image with zero context, presumably trying to piece together what was happening and why this woman he hadn’t spoken to in months was sending him baby scan photos.
The chaotic announcement didn’t scare Brown off, though. Cave shared that he embraced fatherhood when their son arrived…who they ultimately named Donnie, abandoning the “Bam” idea entirely.
His commitment went beyond just being present for one child. Over the next decade, Cave and Brown wiggled through an on-and-off relationship while expanding their family to include three more kids: daughter Margot in 2016, followed by sons Tennessee in 2020 and Becker in 2022.
Their relationship may not have started with romance or even basic communication competence, but they found a way to build a family anyway.
It’s messy, imperfect, and probably not how anyone would choose to start their parenting journey, but sometimes life has other plans.
Have you ever had to deliver difficult news in the worst possible way? Share your stories in the comments.
