John Boyega is a dad. And he shared it the way he seems to share most big life news: quietly, then all at once.
The Nigerian-British actor and his wife, American actress Lashontae “Tae” Heckard, have welcomed their first child together. He posted a video of himself cradling the baby on Instagram, along with some photos from the pregnancy.
Fans have been warm about it, and honestly, who wouldn’t be?
His caption was short and funny: “Back to feeding this big baby!” Anyone who’s ever watched a new dad in action can picture it.
He also thanked fans for their love. Then he asked everyone to send good wishes to his sister, who’s about to give birth too. So there’s another little one on the way in the family.
Tae jumped into the comments with “Love and blessings to my Blessing.” Tyrese popped in to congratulate them as well. According to reports, she’s also changed her Instagram bio to “Tae Boyega.”
This is the part that caught people off guard. Not long ago, Boyega revealed in an interview that he and Tae had been married for almost two years. Almost two years! He’d never spoken publicly about the relationship before that.
He said they had a small ceremony, but they’d love a bigger celebration one day. His joke was that by then, “we’ll have to shut Nigeria down.” Knowing how we do weddings, it barely sounds like a joke.
He was doing that interview to promote the documentary Damilola: The Untold Story. He mentioned then that they were expecting. By the time he posted on Instagram, the baby had already arrived.
Tae is best known for her roles in ATL and The Game. She also has a son from a previous relationship, so this is her second child and Boyega’s first.
You might see her age online as 48, next to Boyega’s 34. It’s been widely reported, but she hasn’t confirmed it herself, so take it lightly.
A secret marriage, then a surprise baby, and both shared on his own terms. Boyega has always been open about how proud he is of his Nigerian roots, but he’s kept this part of his life close until he was ready.
Congratulations to the new parents. Something tells me the “shut Nigeria down” party is going to be one to remember.
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