Los Angeles: International pop singer Justin Bieber drew a lot of criticism for making fool of his fans by sharing a fake post on Instagram on April Fools Day.
On Monday, the 'Cold Water' singer took to his Instagram to share a picture of an ultrasound hinting at himself and wife Hailey Baldwin expecting their first child.
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He went on to post several pictures of Hailey touching her bare stomach while surrounded by two gloved medical professionals in the ambience of a doctor's office.
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"If you thought it was April fools," he wrote the caption.
His initial posts were filled with comments of support from friends and fans who congratulated the couple on their "miracle", while others questioned if this was just an elaborate April Fools' joke.
Bieber later added a third Instagram post of a puppy photoshopped into the ultrasound.
"Wait omg is that a.. April Fools," he captioned the image.
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While some users called Bieber's prank "genius" others said pregnancy is no laughing matter, slamming the pop star for insensitivity for couples who struggle to conceive or have lost children.
The backlash follows a growing number of social media users advocating for an end to fake pregnancy announcements on April Fools' Day.
"1 in 4 women miscarry. 1 in 8 couples experience infertility. 1 in 160 pregnancies end in stillbirth. Think before you prank on April Fools Day, because pregnancy is not a joke.
"Don't degrade something so precious and valuable," a user tweeted ahead of April 1.
Bieber has not addressed the backlash and all three posts are still on his Instagram page.
With inputs from IANS.
