Celebrities are subjected to a high level of body scrutiny, and for female stars this can lead to premature pregnancy predictions. Just ask LeAnn Rimes, Hilary Duff or Carrie Underwood. Will Scarlett Johansson, 26, be joining the club? Spotted out for a run with Owen Wilson and new beau Sean Penn recently, the in-shape actress bared a hint of a belly, leading to some online rumors about a baby bump.
But a rep for Johansson warns not to jump to conclusions, and reveals a few common missteps that make up the anatomy of a pregnancy rumor:
Step 1: Catch the celebrity at an awkward angle "She's outside running and it's simply the placement of her shirtthat is misleading," her rep, Marcel Pariseau, tells PEOPLE of Johansson. To avoid this very problem, Underwood said recently that shechooses her wardrobe carefully, saying "when I wear something alittle baggier, I'm like, nope, people are going to think I'm hiding something."
Step 2: Single out the one photo that portrays her as a mere mortal "She was followed and photographed for over 20 minutes and I'm sure there are other photos in the series that show and prove that she is not pregnant," the rep points out.
Step 3: Set the record straight "Scarlett is not pregnant," Pariseau says, adding for good measure, "She's been training for The Avengers for over four months and is in the best shape of her life."
