Motherhood can bring plenty of unforgettable firsts, along with some pains. For actress Jasmin Brown, who has two children with former quarterback Cam Newton, it meant settling into a new role before taking stock of the massive change in her life.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
Brown spoke about her experience with postpartum depression in an Instagram video.
“I had kids back-to-back, so I didn’t realize that, like, I was going through postpartum depression until it literally just kicked me in my teeth and said, ‘B****, we’re here.’” Brown said.
“You are a high-functioning depressed person because the one thing about postpartum depression, you’d be like, ‘Oh, yeah, no, it’s not me.’ Like, what do you mean? I’m just cooking and cleaning and crying. … I feel like I was like masking it where it’s like, ‘No, I’m still doing all the things so there’s no way that this can be me. And then, like, I got knocked down, and I’m like, ‘Oh, no. This absolutely is you.'”
Brown and Newton became parents in early 2024, when they welcomed a daughter. Their son arrived in 2025, meaning the couple welcomed two children within a relatively short period. And so far, it seems it looks like Brown has managed this whirlwind chapter of her life alone.
The moment also prompted Brown to reflect on the people she could rely on as she worked through this period.
“In this moment, I’m realizing who my people are. People who show up for me, people who support me,” Brown said.
Brown also called out the way postpartum depression is often dismissed, particularly by men who may not understand what women experience after childbirth. “Y’all act like it’s a hoax,” she said, expressing frustration that the condition is not always taken seriously.
Newton and Brown have reportedly been together since 2021. But the former quarterback also has older children with his former partners, Kia Proctor and La Reina Shaw. He also considers himself a father to the two women’s children from their respective previous relationships, having built a loving bond with them.
“[Jokingly], and not jokingly, they really give me my purpose and there’s so many different things that I look at to say, they’re my refuge,” Newton told People. “They’re my peace. They’re my encouragement.
“There’s times where, even I’m here, and they’re still at home. Those type of things affect me, but it also gives me more reason to say I’m doing this because of that situation.”
Newton has also previously discussed how he and Brown approach their relationship. In an appearance on Funky Friday with rapper Kash Doll, he described the openness between them and emphasized their closeness.
“First off, with me and mine, she already know. It ain’t no privacy,” Newton explained. “We [are] in there together. That’s our thing. I know this is TMI, but that’s my dawg.”
Brown’s final words made it clear that the realization of having postpartum depression has not made the struggle disappear. She also spoke about leaning on her children and her faith while acknowledging that she was not doing well mentally.
Even with a nanny finally giving her some breathing room, the time she has found for herself seems to have thrown her off guard. Her experience is shared by heaps of women across the world, as they navigate motherhood.