Kate Beckinsale discusses her miscarriage as she offers Chrissy Teigen support

Kate Beckinsale has said she has previously suffered a miscarriage.

The actress made the revelation as she offered support to Chrissy Teigen, who said on Thursday that she had lost the baby she was expecting with husband John Legend.

Writing on Instagram, Beckinsale said she had noticed people criticising the model “for sharing deeply intimate photos of the loss of her baby.”

She added: “Years ago, I lost a baby at 20 weeks. I had managed to keep my pregnancy quiet and I absolutely collapsed inside and no one would have known.

“There is grief, shame and shock so often that come with an experience like this, plus the heartbreak of your body continuing, after the loss, to act as if it had a child to nurture.”

The actress shared her comments alongside a poem about baby loss.

She added: “It can be the loneliest, most soul-destroying period of time, particularly if you are not in the position of having an emotionally connected, supportive partner like Chrissy has.”

Beckinsale, 47, said it is “an honour to be allowed into another person’s grief.”

“Thank you Chrissy Teigen for making sure it is abundantly clear how devastating this is, and how life changing it can be without support,” she continued.

“Let’s let the grieving decide what’s right for them. Send support or keep quiet. This is a really hard time to bear.”

Teigen, 34, shared her pregnancy news with fans in August. The star then posted frequent updates on her pregnancy and informed her followers when she was taken to hospital after suffering excessive bleeding over the weekend.

On Thursday, she shared her shock and sadness following her miscarriage, posting a serious of heart-wrenching pictures of herself and Legend at the hospital.

One snap sees the couple cradling their baby, who they named Jack.

“We are so grateful for the life we have, for our wonderful babies Luna and Miles, for all the amazing things we’ve been able to experience,” she wrote. “But everyday can’t be full of sunshine. On this darkest of days, we will grieve, we will cry our eyes out. But we will hug and love each other harder and get through it.”

Teigen also thanked fans for their support.