Pretty Little Liars' Shay Mitchell reveals she had a miscarriage in emotional Instagram post

Shay Mitchell, star of Pretty Little Liars and the newly released Netflix series, You, has opened up about her miscarriage.

On New Year's Eve, the actress took to Instagram to speak about some of the "hardships" she faced last year, stating that she felt compelled to tell her fans that not everything in life is as perfect as it seems on the highlight reel that is social media.

As well as sharing a compilation of photos from 2018 which featured Mitchell doing a number of things such as travelling to Hong Kong and Shanghai, kayaking on a glacier and learning to fly a helicopter, the 31-year-old revealed that she had suffered a miscarriage in 2018.

In a note shared to her Instagram story, Mitchell used the final two posts to share the reality behind some of her "darkest days".

Posting an image of a sonogram with a broken heart emoji, the actress explained that her "amazing year didn't come without some hardships."

"We all have to deal with various struggles and challenges in life. And sometimes it's easier to only showcase the good times on social media, which is what leads many people to criticize it for its lack of authenticity," she wrote. "Having so many people follow me on Instagram and read my posts is both incredibly humbling and hugely uplifting. The support and affection that so many of you show me lifts me up during even my darkest days, one of which happened last year after I miscarried and lost the child of my hopes and dreams."

Credit: Instagram / Shay Mitchell

Mitchell then touched on the fact that social media doesn't portray everything that is going on in someone's life. "In the spirt of the new year, I think that we need to remember that we are all on this journey together—in good times and in bad—and to remind ourselves that we seldom really know or understand the struggles and hardships that other people are going through," she asserted.

"So, for 2019, let's all try to be a little more compassionate, empathetic, patient and thoughtful with each other."

Credit: Instagram / Shay Mitchell

Mitchell's fans responded by expressing their admiration for her bravery.

"And we had no idea... @shaymitch you're such a strong woman, I wish I could hug you right now," wrote one Twitter user, while another added "Shay Mitchell had a miscarriage in 2018 and none of us knew. This just proves that none [of] us know what's truly going on in other people's lives and we should be there for one another and show love no matter what."

Approximately one in four pregnancies end in miscarriage, per children's charity, Tommy's.

Former First Lady, Michelle Obama, also recently opened up about having a miscarriage before turning to IVF to conceive her daughters, Malia and Sasha.
During her interview with Good Morning America, she explained that she'd felt as if she'd "failed" because she wasn't aware of  how common miscarriages are.