Tom Daley and his husband Dustin Lance Black have announced the birth of their first child.
The 24-year-old British diver and the 44-year-old screenwriter are now the proud fathers to a son, and have touchingly named him Robert after Tom’s father who passed away back in 2011.
The pair announced the birth in The Times announcements sections, with the following happy statement:
On 27th June 2018 to Thomas Robert Daley and Dustin Lance Black, a son, Robert Ray
Messages have poured in for the couple, who tied the knot back in May 2017 after getting engaged in October 2015.
One person said:
Congratulations guys. I’m so happy and proud of u and u are gonna be the best dads.
Another commented:
Couldn’t wake up to better news: congratulations to @TomDaley1994 and @DLanceBlack and welcome to little Robert Ray.
Don’t even know what to day but I’m so happy I could burst into tears.
The talented couple announced they were going to have a baby earlier this year, sharing a picture of their ultrasound over Instagram on Valentines day.
Speaking with the Mirror in October 2017, Tom spoke about their hopes of raising children together:
I’ve always been a family person so I’ve always wanted kids, and I know Lance does, too. I don’t know how many – an army of kids, a whole diving team.
We’re both lucky to have supportive families and we want to share that with our own children.
According to Pink News, Dustin has previously made the following comments about their surrogate:
I’ve never heard of someone who does not know their surrogate, and doesn’t know them well. A part of the process is either choosing someone you know and love and have that relationship with… or you have to build a relationship like that.
The women who are willing to do this and give this gift to couples who can’t have children – there is a love and a warmth and a generosity and a kindness that’s difficult not to fall in love with.
We certainly have that with ours. We do love her very much.
Tom also spoke about the prejudice they had both experienced after announcing they would be having a child using a surrogate mother:
It’s difficult because you see stuff online. We know we have wanted a kid more than anything in the world.
When people judge about us using a surrogate and stuff… there are people who can’t have kids, and I don’t think there would be as much drama if it was a straight couple.
Take Kim Kardashian, for example – she used a surrogate and there wasn’t any issue with it. There is an element of difference in terms of the way we’ve been treated.
I’m sure Tom and Dustin are going to be wonderful parents, and this little guy will no doubt be in for some pretty amazing family trips to the swimming baths.
Many congratulations to this brand new family!
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.