Taylor Cox made breastfeeding part of the red-carpet fashion conversation at the 78th Emmy Awards, carrying a breast pump covered in pearls, pink stones and sparkling gems to the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Monday, 14 September.
The writer and co-executive producer of Only Murders in the Building attended as the Hulu comedy competed for Outstanding Comedy Series. Cox later summed up the night with a line that turned an everyday reality of pumping into the punchline: 'We didn't win, but we didn't get mastitis.'
Taylor Cox Turns a Breast Pump Into an Emmys Accessory
Cox shared photos from the ceremony showing the customised pump travelling with her from the red carpet to her seat and later to an afterparty. Artist Nora Casey decorated the Medela pump with pearls, clear and pink gems and floral-shaped embellishments, while leaving its functional flange and valve uncovered. A pearl chain allowed Cox to carry the device from her wrist like a tiny evening bag rather than hiding it away between pumping sessions.
The breast pump was worked into a full red-carpet look rather than treated as backstage equipment. Cox wore a light orange dress with a leafy print and three-dimensional floral details at the straps, styling her hair in an updo and adding silver drop earrings. In one image, she held the decorated pump against her chest for the camera, while another showed it resting on her lap inside the theatre.
Cox credited Casey directly in her post, writing, 'Thank you @noracasey__ for creating the bedazzled pump of my dreams.' She also thanked her parents for attending as her dates and tagged Medela, along with stylist Sophie Strauss and makeup artist Phoebe Dawson. The result placed an object usually associated with feeding schedules and private pumping spaces directly into one of television's biggest fashion events.
The Mastitis Joke Had a Real Breastfeeding Reality Behind It
Cox's caption landed because mastitis is a genuine concern for people who are breastfeeding or expressing milk. The condition involves inflammation of breast tissue and can cause swelling, heat, pain and flu-like symptoms. During breastfeeding, mastitis can develop when milk builds up faster than it is removed, while long gaps between feeds can contribute to that build-up.
That context gave Cox's Emmy-night accessory a practical purpose beneath the crystals and pearls. An awards ceremony, red carpet and afterparty can stretch across several hours, while expressing milk may still need to fit around the evening. By bringing the pump with her, Cox made that logistical reality visible without turning the appearance into a formal statement.
Only Murders in the Building Left the Emmys Empty-Handed
Cox attended the ceremony as part of the producing team behind Only Murders in the Building, the Hulu comedy starring Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short. The series received five nominations for the 2026 Emmys, including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for Short. Cox was listed among the co-executive producers nominated with the show in the comedy-series category.
The series ultimately did not win any of its five categories, giving Cox the setup for her mastitis joke after the ceremony. Her own television credits also include Girls5eva, Miracle Workers, Single Parents and Abby's, while her Emmy recognition came through her producing work on Only Murders in the Building. On a night built around trophies and red-carpet styling, Cox's post kept the focus on both parts of the evening: the nomination and the pumping schedule that came with it.
