Zooey Deschanel Is Pregnant & Here’s What It Could Mean For New Girl

Zooey Deschanel's daughter Elsie Otter will have a playmate very soon. On Thursday, the New Girl actress confirmed to Us Weekly that she is expecting a baby. This will be the second child for Deschanel and her husband Jacob Pechenik. The low-key couple secretly wed in June of 2015, the same year they welcomed their daughter. Fans of Deschanel's sitcom may remember how the actress' real-life pregnancy played out on the show. When Deschanel decided to take maternity leave to bond with her new baby, her character, Jess, got called away for jury duty. Reagan (Megan Fox) stepped in as Jess' subletter, adding a female voice to the loft filled with man-children. Will Jess be taking another break from the guys now that Deschanel is pregnant? It's certainly possible, and I would be more than okay with that. Not because Jess isn't a vital part of the show, but because parenting leave is a right all people should receive — even sitcom stars. Of course, we won't know what Deschanel's real-life plans are, or how they might coincide with filming of New Girl until she releases a statement. For now, all we can do is speculate what quirky-cute name Deschanel and Pechenik might come up with for their new baby. It's sure to be adorkable.