Former Atlanta star and Academy Award-nominated actor LaKeith Stanfield, 31, is not only officially off the market, but he’s also recently welcomed a baby with his bride.
The actor, and partner, 29-year-old model Kasmere Trice Stanfield, broke the news to PEOPLE. They didn’t share the name of the child, or baby Stanfield’s gender, but they did do a photo shoot with the newborn. The actor has long been private about his personal life. “Being in the public eye can be something that’s amazing, but it can also be something that is very hard on you,” he told the publication. “There needs to be things that exist that are sacred and not for consumption for everybody.”
But the pair, who announced their engagement on Instagram late last year, are pulling the curtain back because “we want to be the ones to tell our story,” the actor shared. “We’re bringing our family forward so we may inspire others.”
The couple revealed that they met in Canada while he was working on some projects. After “feeling each other out,” they realized they’d found someone special in one another. “As love does, it just smacked us out of nowhere. I’m working on my music, writing and writing, and then this person who I was seemingly writing about pops up in my life. It was strange.”
They started building a life together, with Kasmere getting to experience LaKeith as a father to his two daughters from previous relationships, including a daughter with actress Xosha Roquemore. “I’m really honored that I got to see the father in [him] before I was even having our baby.”
LaKeith also shared photos from the couple’s baby shower to his Instagram with a very sweet message about his connection with Kasmere and an inspirational one for others.
“If you’re fortunate enough in this life, you get to see your wildest imaginations manifested before your eyes. I am endlessly grateful to God for being able to achieve some of those things. The best part of it all was being gifted by the most high, a gorgeously intelligent and spiritually magnetic person to share life with,” he wrote. “You too, can also turn those hopes into reality and work (and I do mean work) to bring about great things in this challenging, wonderful, terrifying, hilarious, painful, pleasure-filled experience called life. In any storm we stand unified and work to create conditions for the perfect breeze within ourselves. I love you and congratulations on motherhood.”
He told PEOPLE of his excitement for the future with Kasmere and their growing brood.
“We’ve manifested this beautiful family,” he said. “I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”