Pregnant Anne Hathaway says doctor feared Hot Ones challenge could trigger early labour

Anne Hathaway reveals her doctor stopped her from doing Hot Ones during pregnancy, fearing she “might go into early labor”; she jokes, “Maybe next year.”

Anne Hathaway has revealed why she had to miss a real-life appearance on Hot Ones while promoting Verity. As reported by PEOPLE, the 43-year-old actor, who is expecting her third child with husband Adam Shulman, said her doctor advised her against taking part in the spicy-wing challenge because she “might go into early labor.”

Anne Hathaway

Hathaway had hoped to appear on the show as part of the film’s press tour, as Hot Ones is featured in Verity. While filming her character’s fictional appearance, she “did the first three wings for real” before switching to dummy wings.

“So I still haven’t done the gauntlet yet,” Hathaway said on the Talk of the Townsends podcast, adding, “Maybe next year.”

The actor explained that several media appearances featured in the film, including Hot Ones, were suggested by her to establish her character, author Verity Crawford, as an “iconic cultural figure.” She compared doing the challenge for the first time to experiencing a first kiss, saying she wanted it to be a real experience rather than something done while playing a character.

Hathaway, who is already mother to sons Jonathan, 10, and Jack, 6, announced her pregnancy in June. Verity marks her fifth film of 2026.