Amber Heard Privately Welcomes First Child via Surrogate
Surprise! Amber Heard is now a first-time mom.
On Thursday (July 1), the Aquaman star announced her first child's arrival in an Instagram post.
Her daughter, named Oonagh [pronounced oo-nuh] Paige Heard, was born on April 8, 2021. Paige is the name of the 35-year-old actress' late mother, while Oonagh, which is Irish in origin, means "lamb."
"I’m so excited to share this news with you. Four years ago, I decided I wanted to have a child," she wrote. "I wanted to do it on my own terms. I now appreciate how radical it is for us as women to think about one of the most fundamental parts of our destinies in this way. I hope we arrive at a point in which it’s normalized to not want a ring in order to have a crib."
Heard noted that part of her wanted to keep her personal life private but that she also understands the very public nature of her career.
Heard's friends told Page Six that the actress used a surrogate to bring Oonagh into the world after reportedly being told she might not be able to get pregnant.
“Oonagh is absolutely gorgeous, and Amber is besotted," the friends told the publication. "She always knew that she wanted to be a mom, and this is her greatest wish come true. She’s so grateful to the wonderful woman who helped bring Oonagh into her life."
The sources added that Heard wants to be open about her daughter's birth in order to help others who may be navigating fertility struggles. “There are so many women who feel they can’t talk about their fertility and are worried and embarrassed; Amber wants them to feel supported and realize that there are a multitude of ways to have a baby even if you have fertility issues."
See the first mother-daughter photo, below.