Bravo star Lindsay Hubbard defends ‘monetizing’ her pregnancy after earning $100k on social media

Lindsay Hubbard is unapologetic about her decision to turn her pregnancy announcement into a paid partnership.

The Summer House reality star, who welcomed her first child, Gemma Britt Kufe, earlier this month, reflected on the mixed reactions to her July Instagram announcement, which was posted in partnership with Clearblue pregnancy tests.

The post, shared with her 700,000 Instagram followers, featured Hubbard posing with a Clearblue Digital Early Pregnancy Test, which she confirmed was the same brand she used in April when she discovered she was pregnant.

The caption read in part: “WE’RE PREGNANT!!!!! The second I had a feeling, I took a @clearblue Early Digital Pregnancy Test, and getting a clear result, in words, made the next steps sooo much easier.”

In a Monday (December 23) appearance on the Trading Secrets podcast with Bachelor alum Jason Tartick, the 38-year-old said the collaboration was part of her broader shift into social media income.

“People were very torn up about this,” Hubbard told Tartick. “They were like, ‘I can’t believe she monetized her pregnancy announcement.’ And it’s like, why not? I’m gonna make the announcement anyway, why not make money from it?”

After confirming she made more than $100,000 in social media income this year, Hubbard elaborated on her decision to reach out to Clearblue for the announcement.

“I used Clearblue. I used the digital test,” she said. “So why not go to them and say, ‘Hey, I used your test, I’m about to announce my pregnancy—do you want to sponsor this?’”

Hubbard explained that monetizing her announcement was a practical decision.

“This is how I’m making my money,” said the reality star who transitioned from a career in public relations to focus on social media. Hubbard also revealed that her Clearblue partnership tied another campaign as her largest deal to date.

Hubbard’s boyfriend, a private doctor, joined her in celebrating their daughter’s arrival on December 8. In an Instagram post featuring the couple holding their newborn’s hand, Hubbard wrote, “She’s here!! Gemma Britt Kufe.”

Hubbard previously opened up to People about her path to motherhood after calling off her engagement to fellow Summer House star Carl Radke in 2023.

“The journey is really just crazy,” she said. “For a girl who’s always wanted to be a mom, there I was at 37, staring down the barrel of being single and questioning when dreams of having a family would happen. And then this incredible man comes back into my life, and next thing you know, I’m pregnant. It’s like the universe was saying, ‘See? This is the time. This is the guy.’”

Hubbard and Radke’s engagement ended abruptly in September 2023, with Radke reportedly calling it off just weeks before their wedding date. In a since-deleted Instagram statement shared at the time, Hubbard said the breakup “was not [her] decision” and left her feeling “humiliated” as her entire life and future plans were upended.

However, by mid-2024, the former PR professional indicated in an interview with Glamour that she had moved on, saying she felt “indifferent” towards Radke. She said, “I’ve completely moved on in my life and I have so much to focus on in my future.”

The fallout from the end of their relationship will be addressed in Summer House season 9. In the trailer released earlier this month, Hubbard accused Radke of infidelity during their engagement. The clip shows her confronting him, saying, “You’ve been talking to this girl since before we broke up,” and labels him a “fraud and cheater.”