Off the spotlight: the unknown children of celebrity dads

In his Netflix show called "Arnold," Schwarzenegger talked about his time with Mildred, which started in June 2023. He admitted that being unfaithful was a big mistake but emphasized that he's proud to call Joseph Baena his son. "It was wrong what I did. But I don’t want to make Joseph feel that he is not welcomed in this world — because he is very much welcomed in this world," Schwarzenegger said. "I love him and he has turned out to be an extraordinary young man" as published in a People article.

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Bow Wow -

The rapper kept his fatherhood a secret until June 2011, when he disclosed that he had a daughter named Shai Moss with model Joie Chavis, born a few months earlier.

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Bow Wow -

As reported by Celebily, he admitted the truth, stating, "I waited so long to tell you the truth because I was afraid of the way you would all look at me. You know, everyone makes a big deal out of this. I wanted to be the first to let you know the real one." Overall, he acknowledged that being a father had changed him.

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Bow Wow -

One special moment happened in April when Bow Wow's daughter, Shai Moss, reached a significant milestone. Posting a photo of the beautiful preteen, the singer shared that his little girl was celebrating turning "BIG 12!!" The star tagged her, sending birthday wishes and showing how much of a loving dad he is. He mentioned, "Dad loves you. We're making it a big day!"

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Charlie Heaton -

According to reports, the 'Stranger Things' actor allegedly fathered a child in 2014 with former girlfriend Akiko Matsuura.

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Chris Brown -

The rapper's daughter, born in 2015 to former model Nia, was publicly acknowledged nine months after her birth.

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Chris Brown -

Chris has every reason to be proud; after all, Royalty Brown is super cute, right?

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Dwyane Wade -

During a period of separation from his partner, Gabrielle Union, the basketball player fathered a child with Aja Metoyer. He openly announced the birth of their son after it had taken place.

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Dwyane Wade -

Recently, according to People, Dwyane Wade's daughter has been granted an official name change and gender assignment. Her legal name is now Zaya Wade. Since coming out as transgender in 2020, Zaya has received unconditional support from both her former NBA star father and her stepmother, Gabrielle Union.

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Eddie Murphy -

Even though he first said he wasn't the dad, a paternity test later showed that he was, in fact, Angel Brown's father.

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Eddie Murphy -

Angel, the daughter of Eddie and Mel B, the former Spice Girls star known as Scary Spice, is now 16 years old. The couple split in December 2006 and Angel was born in April the following year.

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Eric Clapton -

In 1986, the renowned guitarist had a child with Italian television personality Lory Del Santo while he was still married to Patti Boyd.

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Eric Clapton -

Conor, the young boy, sadly lost his life in 1991 when he fell from a window. Clapton composed the renowned song 'Tears In Heaven' in response to this incident.

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Frank Sinatra -

Mia Farrow's son Ronan is speculated to be the offspring of an acclaimed singer who greatly influenced the 20th century.

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Frank Sinatra -

During an interview, Mia Farrow openly acknowledged that Ronan (photo) may not be Woody Allen's biological child, but instead, possibly Frank Sinatra's. The confession was made by Farrow herself.

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Gavin Rossdale -

The rocker believed that he was just Daisy Lowe's godfather until a paternity test proved that he was her father. When he found out, Daisy was 14 years old.

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Gavin Rossdale -

Not only does he have a daughter, but he's become a grandfather, according to People. Recently, Gavin Rossdale raved about his pregnant daughter Daisy Lowe for her 34th birthday. He shared a post celebrating a big year for her, including the announcement of her first pregnancy.

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Stephen Tyler -

It wasn't until much later that an Aerosmith member discovered he had become a father with groupie Bebe Buell. The daughter, Liv Tyler, is a renowned actress.

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Stephen Tyler -

Liv told 'The Guardian' 2017: “I felt a connection in a very strong way when I met him as a little girl and I didn’t know why at first, but I figured it out rather quickly.”

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Hugh Grant -

The renowned actor fathered three love children with two women in the span of 15 months.

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Hugh Grant -

Over the course of eight years, the actor from 'Notting Hill' became a father to five children, with actress Tinglan Hong and his current wife, Anna Eberstein. While Grant has kept his kids away from the spotlight, he has sometimes talked about his family life.

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Jesse Jackson -

The political rights advocate acknowledged that he was the biological father of a baby girl who was born 20 months earlier. His daughter was the result of an affair outside of his marriage.

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Jesse Jackson -

Currently, Ashley Jackson is a vegan activist, actress, and producer. Moreover, she is a daughter who admires her father and aims to follow in his footsteps. In a interview to 'Vegoutmag', she metioned: "As the daughter of Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. and Dr. Karin Stanford, politics has shaped my life from an early age. I have a deep appreciation for my father’s global impact as an African American presidential candidate and civil rights leader who inspired millions".

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John Edwards -

Formerly a prominent contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in the US, Edwards unveiled the existence of his clandestine offspring, born from an extramarital liaison, only after a lapse of two years.

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John Edwards -

According to 'Daily Mail', in August 2008 he admitted he'd been unfaithful, telling that he had an extramarital affair with Rielle Hunter - but denying being the father of the baby. In January 2010, he finally admitted fathering the child.

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Ludacris -

The artist had a child with Tamika Fuller discreetly during a break from his then-partner Eudoxie.

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Ludacris -

He did not recognize the arrival of his daughter Cai Bridges (sunglasses) until after her birth and was subsequently awarded primary physical custody.

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Chuck Norris -

In his book 'Against All Odds: My Story,' the martial artist disclosed that he had no knowledge of his daughter Dina's existence until 26 years after she was born.

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Chuck Norris -

He admitted to cheating on his first wife, Holechek, in 1962, and a daughter named Dina Morris was born from the affair.

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Matthew Knowles -

Beyoncé's dad has two children that were kept secret. The first one was born when he was still married to Tina Knowles.

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Matthew Knowles -

The father acknowledged his second love child in 2014 after a paternity test confirmed his parentage.

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Michael Lohan -

Actor Lindsay Lohan's father attempted to hide his illegitimate child from his family and the public, but DNA tests conducted in 2008 confirmed that he had indeed fathered another daughter in 1995.

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Tom Jones -

The singer discovered that he had a son after conducting a paternity test when the baby reached the age of 14 months.

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Tom Jones -

Despite being legally required to provide child support, 34 years have passed, and Jones has not been involved in his son's upbringing.

Sources: (Billboard) (TMZ) (People) (Amomama) (Celebily) (The Guardian) (Vegoutmag) (Daily Mail)

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Drake -

As reported by The Sun, the rapper has acknowledged that he is the father of a secret child with Sophie Brussaux, a former adult film performer.

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Drake -

In October 2017, a baby boy was born. According to a report from The Sun, Pusha T has confirmed the baby's name as Adonis.

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Drake -

In 2018, in his song 'Emotionless' with Mariah Carey, the singer candidly admits: "I wasn't hiding my kid from the world/I was hiding the world from my kid."

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Drake -

Time has passed, and now Drake is a proud father, as his son is following in his footsteps in the music world. Adonis, the rapper's 6-year-old son has released a song titled "My Man Freestyle."

Getty Images

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Drake -

"Happy birthday, my son... MY MAN FREESTYLE OUT NOW," Drake wrote on Instagram a few days after Adonis' October 11th birthday. He shared a clip of the track and its adorable music video.

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50 Cent -

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50 Cent -

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Arnold Schwarzenegger -

The governor and actor didn't acknowledge having a son with a member of his household staff, Mildred Baena, until 2011, when the boy had already reached the age of ten.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger -

Getty Images

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Bow Wow -

The rapper kept his fatherhood a secret until June 2011, when he disclosed that he had a daughter named Shai Moss with model Joie Chavis, born a few months earlier.

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Bow Wow -

Getty Images

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Bow Wow -

Getty Images

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Charlie Heaton -

According to reports, the 'Stranger Things' actor allegedly fathered a child in 2014 with former girlfriend Akiko Matsuura.

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Chris Brown -

The rapper's daughter, born in 2015 to former model Nia, was publicly acknowledged nine months after her birth.

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Chris Brown -

Chris has every reason to be proud; after all, Royalty Brown is super cute, right?

Getty Images

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Dwyane Wade -

During a period of separation from his partner, Gabrielle Union, the basketball player fathered a child with Aja Metoyer. He openly announced the birth of their son after it had taken place.

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Dwyane Wade -

Getty Images

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Eddie Murphy -

Even though he first said he wasn't the dad, a paternity test later showed that he was, in fact, Angel Brown's father.

Getty Images

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Eddie Murphy -

Angel, the daughter of Eddie and Mel B, the former Spice Girls star known as Scary Spice, is now 16 years old. The couple split in December 2006 and Angel was born in April the following year.

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Eric Clapton -

In 1986, the renowned guitarist had a child with Italian television personality Lory Del Santo while he was still married to Patti Boyd.

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Eric Clapton -

Conor, the young boy, sadly lost his life in 1991 when he fell from a window. Clapton composed the renowned song 'Tears In Heaven' in response to this incident.

21 / 43 Fotos

Frank Sinatra -

Mia Farrow's son Ronan is speculated to be the offspring of an acclaimed singer who greatly influenced the 20th century.

22 / 43 Fotos

Frank Sinatra -

During an interview, Mia Farrow openly acknowledged that Ronan (photo) may not be Woody Allen's biological child, but instead, possibly Frank Sinatra's. The confession was made by Farrow herself.

Getty Images

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Gavin Rossdale -

The rocker believed that he was just Daisy Lowe's godfather until a paternity test proved that he was her father. When he found out, Daisy was 14 years old.

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Gavin Rossdale -

Getty Images

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Stephen Tyler -

It wasn't until much later that an Aerosmith member discovered he had become a father with groupie Bebe Buell. The daughter, Liv Tyler, is a renowned actress.

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Stephen Tyler -

Liv told 'The Guardian' 2017: “I felt a connection in a very strong way when I met him as a little girl and I didn’t know why at first, but I figured it out rather quickly.”

Getty Images

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Hugh Grant -

The renowned actor fathered three love children with two women in the span of 15 months.

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Hugh Grant -

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Jesse Jackson -

The political rights advocate acknowledged that he was the biological father of a baby girl who was born 20 months earlier. His daughter was the result of an affair outside of his marriage.

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Jesse Jackson -

Getty Images

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John Edwards -

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John Edwards -

Getty Images

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Ludacris -

The artist had a child with Tamika Fuller discreetly during a break from his then-partner Eudoxie.

Shutterstock

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Ludacris -

He did not recognize the arrival of his daughter Cai Bridges (sunglasses) until after her birth and was subsequently awarded primary physical custody.

Shutterstock

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Chuck Norris -

In his book 'Against All Odds: My Story,' the martial artist disclosed that he had no knowledge of his daughter Dina's existence until 26 years after she was born.

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Chuck Norris -

He admitted to cheating on his first wife, Holechek, in 1962, and a daughter named Dina Morris was born from the affair.

Getty Images

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Matthew Knowles -

Beyoncé's dad has two children that were kept secret. The first one was born when he was still married to Tina Knowles.

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Matthew Knowles -

The father acknowledged his second love child in 2014 after a paternity test confirmed his parentage.

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Michael Lohan -

Actor Lindsay Lohan's father attempted to hide his illegitimate child from his family and the public, but DNA tests conducted in 2008 confirmed that he had indeed fathered another daughter in 1995.

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Tom Jones -

The singer discovered that he had a son after conducting a paternity test when the baby reached the age of 14 months.

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Tom Jones -

Despite being legally required to provide child support, 34 years have passed, and Jones has not been involved in his son's upbringing.

Sources: (Billboard) (TMZ) (People) (Amomama) (Celebily) (The Guardian) (Vegoutmag) (Daily Mail)

Getty Images

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Off the spotlight: the unknown children of celebrity dads

How did these stars successfully keep their baby news secret?

07/11/24 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Love child

Some celebrities choose not to announce their impending parenthood immediately. Whether these famous dads were unaware of their children's existence or conceived them during extramarital affairs, the public learned about the babies long after they were born.

Explore our gallery to discover surprising instances where stars like Drake, Chris Brown, and Hugh Grant successfully kept their impending fatherhood hidden from the public until long after their babies were born.