"People were very torn up about this," she revealed on the 'Trading Secrets' podcast
Lindsay Hubbard is standing by her decision to make money off her pregnancy announcement with a brand deal this year.
The Summer House star, 38, welcomed her first child, Gemma Britt Kufe, earlier this month — several months after she revealed on Instagram that she was officially going to be a mom. And now, speaking on Jason Tartick's Trading Secrets podcast on Monday, Dec. 23, the reality star is opening up about why her Instagram pregnancy announcement post doubled as a paid partnership with Clearblue pregnancy tests.
After confirming that she broke the $100,000 annual mark in social media income this year, Hubbard told Tartick that, ultimately, she was "already going to" announce her pregnancy so she decided to make some money in the process.
"People were very torn up about this," she said. "They were like, 'I can't believe she monetized her pregnancy announcement.' And it's like, why not? I'm gonna make the announcement anyway, why not make money from it?"
"I used Clearblue, I used the digital test — that was the test I used back in April when I found out I was pregnant. So why not go to them and say, 'Hey, I used your test, I'm about to announce my pregnancy, do you want to sponsor this?'"
As Hubbard explained, "This is how I'm making my money."
"I'm not doing PR anymore, I'm not sitting behind a desk," she added, as Tartick interjected that the money she made off the announcement itself was "for the child" anyway.
"That was by far the biggest announcement of my entire life," Hubbard confirmed. "At that point, I think it was the biggest deal [I ever did]. It tied another deal I'd done in the spring."
Back in July, Hubbard revealed to her 700,000 Instagram followers that she was expecting her first child with her boyfriend — a doctor who prefers to keep out of the public eye — in a joint Instagram post with Clearblue. The post itself was properly labeled as a partnership, as she could be seen posing with a Clearblue Digital Early Pregnancy Test, and even wrote in the caption that it was indeed the brand she used to confirm her pregnancy.
"Trigger Warning: This post contains more fireworks than the 4th of July! WE’RE PREGNANT!!!!!," she wrote at the time. "I truly believe the universe has a bigger plan and this is it! The second I had a feeling, I took a @clearblue Early Digital Pregnancy Test and getting a clear result, in words, made the next steps sooo much easier. My boyfriend and I are beyond excited to welcome our little #HubbCub this Holiday season 2024!!"
Hubbard welcomed her first child Gemma, who she shares with her boyfriend, earlier this month as she posted the news to Instagram on Dec. 8. Alongside a photo of herself and her partner holding their little one's hand, Hubbard wrote, "She’s here!! Gemma Britt Kufe."
Months before the birth of her child, Hubbard spoke with PEOPLE about how the "universe had a plan" for her — following her wedding to former fiancé Carl Radke being called off in 2023 and finding love again with a former flame.
"The journey is really just crazy," she said. "All of a sudden, for a girl who's always wanted to be a mom, there I was at 37 years old, staring down the barrel of being single and questioning when dreams of having a family would happen. And then this incredible man comes back into my life and next thing you know, I'm pregnant. It's like the universe was saying, 'See? This is the time. This it the guy. Now you're ready.' I feel like my prayers were answered."