‘Hairspray’ Actress Sarah Francis Jones Goes Into Labor at Beyoncé’s Concert

It was a night of music, magic and unexpected surprises as actress Sarah Francis Jones, known for her role in Hairspray, went into labor during Beyoncé‘s birthday concert at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. 

“I think it was right after the mute challenge,” Jones told KTLA, recalling the moment when her contractions began. “Everybody went mute. L.A. did very well… and then I started having contractions.”

Jones, who attended the concert with her partner, The Neighborhood actor Marcel Spears, was initially taken aback by the sudden onset of labor. The baby girl wasn’t due for a few more days, and she initially thought the contractions were Braxton Hicks, often mistaken for false labor pains.

“I said, ‘Something’s happening,'” she explained. “Usually, I like to dance at the concert, and I was like, ‘OK, I need to sit down for a second.'” Spears did his best to keep her calm, thinking it was too early for labor.

“I also thought it was Braxton Hicks, and she was like, ‘I’m feeling something,’ and I said, ‘No, no no, it’s early, it’ll pass, we’re OK,'” Spears said.

As the concert continued, Spears began timing the contractions, realizing they were coming 20 to 30 minutes apart. By the time they reached the car in the parking lot, the contractions had intensified significantly.

“The biggest contractions happened during ‘Virgo’s Groove,'” Spears revealed, noting the song playing during Beyoncé’s performance. Remarkably, the baby was born under the Virgo zodiac sign, just like Beyoncé herself.

 

While the baby — whom the couple named Nola — nearly shared her birthday with Queen Bey, she missed the mark by a few hours, arriving on Sept. 5. The couple documented the entire journey on video, sharing two clips on Instagram.

“If we didn’t record it, I don’t think anybody would believe it,” Spears said. “It’s just one of those things that it’s so convenient you’re like, ‘Nah, that’s not happening,’ but the baby definitely pulled through.”

As for the baby’s name, Nola, it pays homage to her dad’s hometown of New Orleans. However, the couple hasn’t settled on a middle name yet and is open to something “Beyoncé-like.”

Just last month, during one of Pink’s Summer Carnival Tour stops at Boston’s Fenway Park, another pregnant concertgoer went into labor during the show. 

Angela Mercer of Albany, New York, had traveled to Boston, Massachusetts, with family members to attend Pink’s July 31 show while she was 31 weeks pregnant, according to a press release from the city’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. As she began feeling strong contractions shortly after arriving for Pink’s performance, Mercer placed a call to her doctor who urged her to head to the hospital right away.

“With all the traffic surrounding Fenway for the concert, Angela had trouble finding a ride to the hospital. She and her family decided the fastest way to get to Brigham and Women’s was to walk – and so, decked out in their concert outfits, they made the trek to our hospital where Angela later delivered her son in the Brigham’s NICU,” the statement explained. The journey between Fenway and the hospital is about a one-mile walk. 

Fittingly, Mercer gave her son a name inspired by the singer’s family: Aycen Hart. Pink, who was born Alecia Beth Moore, legally shares husband Carey Hart’s last name. Pink and Carey’s children are named Willow Sage Hart and Jameson Moon Hart. 

In an interview with CBS Boston, Mercer recounted the experience and joked that she was looking forward to a “reschedule” on Pink’s next tour.

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