It’s been a year since Chrissy Teigen and John Legend lost their son, Jack, and they were finally able to hold a memorial service for the little one they’ve been morning for 365 days.
On Tuesday, September 28, the Cravings cookbook author took to Instagram to share an excruciating photo from the day they lost their son, showing Teigen sobbing in a hospital bed while her husband comforts her. This post was preceded by the model’s National Son Day post for her second-born, 3-year-old Miles. The couple also share a daughter, Luna, 5.
“And to the son we almost had. a year ago you gave me the greatest pain I could ever imagine to show me I could survive anything, even if I didn’t want to,” she wrote in her caption. “I didn’t get to take care of you but you came and went to get me to love myself and take care of myself because our bodies are precious and life is a miracle. they told me it would get easier but yeah, that hasn’t started yet. mom and dad love you forever.”
A couple days later, Chrissy came back to social media to share a special moment with fans, revealing that her family held a memorial service for Jack.
“Took me a year but finally honored his little spirit with some blessings today,” she wrote. “Hopefully some closure in my heart will happen now 😩 thank you guys for the kind words. It’s a process. Xx.”
The photos show the couple with their kids along with the Lip Sync Battle host’s mom, Vilailuck “Pepper” Teigen, participating in a ceremony with Buddhist monks in their home. In one photo, they all prayed together — and there was a shrine to the baby. In the background, you can also see the tree they planted for Jack.
Teigen has said in the past that she considers herself “half Buddhist.” Jack had been cremated, which is the preferred choice of the religion due to the Buddhist belief in reincarnation.
“I’m a Buddhist, so I think [Jack] is with my parents, my grandparents, my dog, everyone together,” Chrissy’s mom told E! News. “They look after us, our family here. He’s still he is with us, we take him with us everywhere. He‘s around every day.”
Buddhist funeral services are traditionally held in a monastery or at the family home. Buddhist monks are invited to lead the ceremony and they read sermons and lead chants or sutras (funeral prayers). There’s usually an image of the deceased and an image of a Buddha and mourners put out flowers, candles, fruit and light incense.
Rest In Peace, baby Jack.