While life may have felt like it was on pause for many in 2020, for this crop of celebrities, it certainly was not.
From Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik, to Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra, and Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas, a host of A-list names have welcomed little ones into the world this year.
Many have kept the names, exact birth dates and genders of their tots private, while others have shared photos of their newborns or images from the delivery room – proof, if ever it was needed, that there is no one-approach-suits-all to parenthood or celebrity.
Here, we round up all the babies born to A-listers in 2020:
Emma Roberts and Garrett Hedlund
Baby name: Rhodes
Date of birth: December 27
According to TMZ, actors Emma Roberts and Garrett Hedlund welcomed a baby boy on Sunday, December 27. The celebrity news website is reporting that the tot is called Rhodes and weighed about four kilograms.
Roberts, Holidate star and niece of Julia Roberts, announced she was expecting a baby boy in August this year. She is yet to share a photo of her newborn son.
Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross
Baby name: Ziggy Blu Ross
Date of birth: October 29
Ashlee Simpson and Evan Ross welcomed their second baby, a son named Ziggy Blu, on October 29. The newborn is little brother to the couple's daughter, Jagger Snow, 5, and Bronx Wentz, 12, Simpson's son with ex-husband, Pete Wentz.
"Our sweet boy has arrived," Simpson wrote on Instagram. "I'm over the moon, we are so blessed."
Nicki Minaj and Kenneth Petty
Baby name: Not disclosed
Date of birth: September 30
The rapper announced she was pregnant in July this year, welcoming her first child two months later. She didn't confirm the news until October 21, her first anniversary with husband, Kenneth Petty, when she shared a photo of the baby boy's foot on Instagram in a post to celebrate their first wedding anniversary.
Billie Lourd and Austen Rydell
Baby name: Kingston Fisher Lourd Rydell
Date of birth: September 25
Billie Lourd announced that she welcomed a baby boy with actor fiance Austen Rydell in September. The actress chose to keep her pregnancy private.
The American Horror Story star, 28, shared a photo of her newborn's feet on Instagram, and paid tribute to her mother, Carrie Fisher, in his name.
"Introducing: Kingston Fisher Lourd Rydell," she wrote.
Hilaria and Alec Baldwin
Baby name: Eduardo Pau Lucas Baldwin
Date of birth: September 8
Hilaria and Alec Baldwin welcomed their fifth child, son Eduardo Pau Lucas Baldwin, in September. Eduardo is little brother to Carmen, 7, Rafael, 5, Leonardo, 4, and Romeo, 2.
Mindy Kaling
Baby name: Spencer
Date of birth: September 3
The Mindy Project creator and star Mindy Kaling confirmed that she welcomed her second child in September during an interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The comedy TV star has chosen not to disclose the identity of the father of both her newborn son and daughter Katherine, 3.
“I'm telling it for the first time now, it feels so strange. But I gave birth to a baby boy on September 3,” Kaling told Colbert, to which he replied: “No one even knew you were pregnant!”
Elie Saab Jr and Christina Mourad Saab
Baby name: Sophia Saab
Date of birth: September 2
Elie Saab Jr, the son of Lebanese fashion designer Elie Saab, welcomed a baby girl with his wife, Christina Mourad Saab, in September.
The couple confirmed the happy news on Instagram, with photos of the family of three.
"Baby Sophia Saab, 02.09.20," Saab Jr wrote on the social media site, captioning two photos and confirming her name and date of birth.
In the two images, Saab Jr is holding the new arrival, while the new mum looks on lovingly. As you'd expect from a fashion family, the pair are dressed in perfectly tailored looks; a shirt and black jacket for the new dad, and a relaxed white shirt for the new mum. Sophia is wearing a little white hat and is wrapped in a blanket.
Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik
Baby name: Not disclosed, nicknamed Zigi by fans
Date of birth: September, exact date not confirmed
Gigi Hadid announced she was expecting her first child, a daughter, in April this year but kept tight-lipped about her pregnancy. In July, she explained that she wasn't posting about her pregnancy as it's "not the most important thing going on in the world".
"That's a reason that I felt that it's not really something that I need to share apart from with my family and friends. Obviously a lot of people have lost lives due to [the] coronavirus that was in the beginning of quarantine and still happening," Hadid said.
Since giving birth in September, she has shared photos hiding her baby's face, shown off photos of her little one's nursery and confirmed that she has had a baby girl. The couple have chosen not to reveal their daughter's name, leading to fans dubbing the tot Zigi.
Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix
Baby name: River Phoenix
Date of birth: September, exact date not confirmed
Notoriously private pair Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix have not confirmed the date that their baby boy was born nor publicly disclosed his name. However, director Viktor Kossakovsky revealed that the couple had named their tot River, after Phoenix's late brother, River Phoenix.
Explaining why the Oscar-winning actor wasn't at the festival for the occasion, Kossakovsky said Phoenix had just welcomed a "beautiful son called River". The Russian filmmaker made the revelation at the Zurich Film Festival on the weekend, after a screening of his documentary Gunda, on which Phoenix acted as executive producer.
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom
Baby name: Daisy Dove Bloom
Date of birth: August 26
Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom chose to announce the August birth of their baby girl, Daisy Dove Bloom, via Unicef’s Instagram.
“We are floating with love and wonder from the safe and healthy arrival of our daughter,” the couple told the charity. “But we know we’re the lucky ones and not everyone can have a birthing experience as peaceful as ours was. Communities around the world are still experiencing a shortage of healthcare workers and every 11 seconds a pregnant woman or newborn dies, mostly from preventable causes.”
Lea Michele and Zandy Reich
Baby name: Ever Leo Reich
Date of birth: August 20
The Glee star welcomed her first child, a son, with businessman husband Zandy Reich on August 20.
Announcing her son's arrival, and hinting at his name, Ever, she wrote on Instagram: "ForEver grateful for this true blessing."
Ed Sheeran and Cherry Seaborn
Baby name: Lyra Antarctica Seaborn Sheeran
Date of birth: August, exact date not confirmed
"A quick message from me as I have some personal news that I wanted to share with you ... Last week, with the help of an amazing delivery team, Cherry gave birth to our beautiful and healthy daughter, Lyra Antarctica Seaborn Sheeran," the Shape of You singer announced on Instagram.
"We are completely in love with her. Both mum and baby are doing amazing and we are on cloud nine over here. We hope that you can respect our privacy at this time."
Chris Pratt and and Katherine Schwarzenegger
Baby name: Lyla Maria Schwarzenegger Pratt
Date of birth: August, exact date not confirmed
Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger announced the birth of their baby with an Instagram post on August 10.
"We are beyond thrilled to announce the birth of our daughter, Lyla Maria Schwarzenegger Pratt. We couldn't be happier. Both mom and baby are doing great. We are extremely blessed," Jurassic World star Pratt wrote on Instagram, followed by two Bible quotes.
Hardik Pandya and Natasa Stankovic
Baby name: Agastya Pandya
Date of birth: July 30
Indian cricket star Hardik Pandya and Serbian dancer Natasa Stankovic welcomed baby boy Agastya in July. Pandya shared a photo from the delivery room, describing his son as a "blessing from God".
Ciara and Russell Wilson
Baby name: Win Harrison Wilson
Date of birth: July 23
The singer and sportsman welcomed their second baby together in July this year. Ciara is also mum to Future Jr, 6, with rapper Future, and daughter Sienna Princess Wilson, 2.
Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas
Baby name: Willa Jonas
Date of birth: July 22
"Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas are delighted to announce the birth of their baby," a representative for the couple confirmed to People in July. Game of Thrones star Turner kept much of her pregnancy off social media, but has since shared throwback bump photos.
Constance Wu and Ryan Kattner
Baby name: Not disclosed
Date of birth: Summer, exact date not confirmed
Crazy Rich Asians star Constance Wu has not been spotted in public since March this year, so fans had no idea she was pregnant, let alone had given birth.
A source close to the actress confirmed to E! News that she and rock star partner Ryan Kattner had welcomed their first baby, a little girl, together over the summer, although the exact date has not been announced.
Elon Musk and Grimes
Baby name: X Æ A-12 but later changed to X AE A-XII
Date of birth: May 4
The birth of tech billionaire Elon Musk and singer Grimes's first son made headlines, thanks to his unusual moniker.
The couple originally named their son X Æ A-12, but later changed his name to X AE A-XII, as the first name did not comply with naming regulations in the state of California, where the family resides. In California, names can only legally be registered with the 26 characters of the alphabet, meaning the choice to include the figure 12, and Æ, did not comply with the state's regulations.
New mum Grimes explained X as "the unknown variable" and the choice of Æ to honour the "elven spelling of Ai (love &/or Artificial intelligence)".
She added that "A-12 [is the] precursor to SR-17 (our favourite aircraft). No weapons, no defences, just speed. Great in battle, but non-violent" and said that the A is for Archangel, her "favourite song".
Given Grimes's explanation, baby X Æ A-12's name would be pronounced "Zai-ah", like the name Isaiah without the first syllable.
Musk was already father to five sons, Damian, Griffin, Xavier, Saxon and Kai, from his first marriage to Justine Wilson.
Rupert Grint and Georgia Groome
Baby name: Wednesday Grint
Date of birth: May, exact date not confirmed
Harry Potter star Rupert Grint welcomed baby Wednesday G Grint with Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging star Georgia Groome in May. The actor, who played Ron Weasley in the wizarding film franchise, made his Instagram debut in November, holding his baby daughter.
Anderson Cooper
Baby name: Wyatt Morgan Cooper
Date of birth: April 27
CNN anchor Anderson Cooper announced that he had welcomed a son via surrogate in April.
“I want to share with you some joyful news. On Monday, I became a father. This is Wyatt Cooper. He is three days old. He is named after my father, who died when I was 10. I hope I can be as good a dad as he was,” he wrote on Instagram.
“My son's middle name is Morgan. It's a family name on my mom's side. I know my mom and dad liked the name Morgan because I recently found a list they made 52 years ago when they were trying to think of names for me. Wyatt Morgan Cooper. My son. He was 7.2lbs at birth, and he is sweet, and soft, and healthy and I am beyond happy.”
Joshua Jackson and Jodie Turner-Smith
Baby name: Not disclosed
Date of birth: April, exact date not confirmed
British Queen and Slim actress Jodie Turner-Smith welcomed a baby girl with Dawson's Creek star Joshua Jackson in April. A representative for the couple confirmed to People: "Both mother and baby are happy and healthy."
In August, Turner-Smith shared a personal account of her birth with British Vogue, writing: "Nobody really teaches you about what your body goes through to bring a child into the world until you're actually doing it."
The actress and model shared that her labour took place at home, with Jackson by her side, over four days.
“Early in the morning on my third day of labour, my husband and I shared a quiet moment. I was fatigued and beginning to lose my resolve. Josh ran me a bath, and as I lay in it contracting, I talked to my body and I talked to my daughter,” she wrote. “In that moment, he snapped a picture of me. An honest moment of family and togetherness – a husband supporting a wife, our baby still inside me, the sacred process of creating a family.”
Jenna Dewan and Steve Kazee
Baby name: Callum Michael Rebel Kazee
Date of birth: March 6
Dancer and actress Jenna Dewan welcomed a baby boy with fiance Steve Kazee this year.
Announcing the birth of baby Callum on Instagram, she wrote: "And just like that, our hearts exploded into all of eternity and beyond. Welcome to the world you little angel!"
Callum is Dewan's second child; she is also mum to daughter Everly, 6, with ex-husband Channing Tatum. The tot is Kazee's first child.
Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra
Baby name: Samisha Shetty Kundra
Date of birth: February 15
Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra welcomed a baby girl named Samisha, via surrogacy in February this year. The couple are already parents to Viaan Raj Kundra, 8.
On International Daughters Day on September 27, Shetty wrote of her baby girl: "Who says miracles don’t happen? [I am] holding one in my hands now ...That’s the happiness I’m celebrating today on #DaughtersDay as I hold Samisha, our daughter. I definitely don’t need a day to celebrate her. Can't thank God and the universe enough for answering and manifesting our prayers".
Ashley Graham and Justin Ervin
Baby name: Isaac Menelik Giovanni Ervin
Date of birth: January 18
Model Ashley Graham welcomed baby boy Isaac in January, with husband Justin Ervin. Penning an Instagram tribute to her son, she wrote: "I can't believe we made you! I will probably say that until he's out of the house and grown. It's an unbelievable experience to be able to look at someone that literally came out of you."
Bar Refaeli and Adi Ezra
Baby name: David Ezra
Date of birth: January, exact date not confirmed
Israeli model Bar Refaeli welcomed baby boy David in January this year. The couple are already parents to daughters Liv, 3, and Elle, 2.
Refaeli shared a post from hospital on January 18, captioning the image: "This is what real glam looks like ... [third] baby in 3.5 years. #FamilyIsEverything Life is beautiful."
Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel
Baby name: Not disclosed
Date of birth: Exact date not confirmed
Singer Justin Timberlake and actress Jessica Biel secretly welcomed their second baby earlier this year, it was confirmed in September. The couple are yet to share a photo or announce the baby's name.
Timberlake's NSync bandmate, Lance Bass, confirmed the couple's baby news to ET.
"The baby is cute of course, it's Justin and Jessica!" he said of the couple's second child. He added that he's had seen pictures but could not share the name, joking, "Justin would kill me!"
The couple are also parents to son Silas Randall Timberlake, 5.
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 6 (McTominay 2', 3'; Fernandes 20', 70' pen; Lindelof 37'; James 65')
Leeds United 2 (Cooper 41'; Dallas 73')
Man of the match: Scott McTominay (Manchester United)
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The Details
Kabir Singh
Produced by: Cinestaan Studios, T-Series
Directed by: Sandeep Reddy Vanga
Starring: Shahid Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Suresh Oberoi, Soham Majumdar, Arjun Pahwa
Rating: 2.5/5
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”
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RESULTS
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
%3Cp%3EMATA%0D%3Cbr%3EArtist%3A%20M.I.A%0D%3Cbr%3ELabel%3A%20Island%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
MATCH INFO
West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90 5')
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at the Gabba
Australia 312-1
Warner 151 not out, Burns 97, Labuschagne 55 not out
Pakistan 240
Shafiq 76, Starc 4-52
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav Ghosh, University of Chicago Press
The specs
Price: From Dh180,000 (estimate)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged in-line four-cylinder
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 320hp @ 5,700rpm
Torque: 400Nm @ 2,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.7L / 100km
RESULTS
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
