The Hendersonville Aquarium and Shark Lab finally has news about Charlotte, the female stingray who appeared to become mysteriously pregnant despite having not shared a tank with a male stingray for nearly a decade. But it’s not the much-awaited paternity reveal, nor the birth announcement fans were waiting for: Instead, the aquarium disclosed that Charlotte has a rare reproductive disease that “negatively impacted her reproductive system.” The owner of the aquarium was quoted telling WLOS 13 that Charlotte is not pregnant after the supposed miracle pregnancy was announced back in February. “The findings are truly a sad and unexpected medical development. Our priority is to focus on Charlotte’s health and well being,” the aquarium continued in their statement. At the time Charlotte’s apparent pregnancy was discovered, the aquarium expected her to give birth to as many as four pups in two weeks or less. The pregnancy captivated the country and even spurred a surprise appearance by “Charlotte” (played by Ego Nwodim) on Saturday Night Live, teasing the paternity of the pups. Now, it’s unclear if that miracle birth ever came to pass.
