Naomi Campbell stunned the world on Tuesday, May 18, after the former supermodel announced on her Instagram page that she was a first-time mom to a baby girl at 50 years old. Campbell initially shared an image of her cradling the newborn’s toes as she tagged the name of her mother, Valerie Morris Campbell, in the snapshot.
The model captioned the announcement without disclosing any further detail, such as the child’s name or the biological father and if she adopted or given birth to the newborn. “A beautiful little blessing has chosen me to be her mother. So [honored] to have this gentle soul in my life, there are no words to describe the lifelong bond that I now share with you, my angel. There is no greater love.”
Following the exciting news, fans, friends, celebrities and fashion designers alike congratulated Campbell as she embarks on this new journey of motherhood.
Actress Zoe Saldana wrote,”❤️❤️❤️ oh my goodness congrats lady! What a blessing!!!”
Fashion designer and friend Marc Jacobs said, “Oh my God!!!!! Today is the day?? How absolutely incredible. How lucky she is and how lucky you are! What a wonderful Mother you will be. Blessings all around. ❤️❤️❤️.”
Actress Holly Robinson Peete cheered, “Congratulations, that is beautiful! You are going to be the best mommy ❤️❤️❤️❤️.”
“Queen and Slim” star Jodie Smith expressed to Campbell the incredible blessing it is to become a mother. “Many many many congratulations to you and to your family— the village that will now rally around you and support you in cultivating that little angel!!!! what an incredible blessing!!! 💞💞💞.”
Longtime friend and fashion mogul Donatella Versace wrote how she can’t wait to meet her new niece. “Naomi, today I go from being sista to auntie!! I am so so so happy for you and I can’t WAIT to meet her!! Lots and lots of love, Donatella and Allegra 😘😘😘😘.”
Campbell’s pregnancy announcement comes years after the model opened up about the possibility of adopting children while discussing her humanitarian work with refugees in 2017. During an interview with Evening Standard Magazine, Campbell said when asked if she still considered adopting an option “I think about having children all the time. But now with the way science is I think I can do it when I want… Maybe, Maybe… Maybe.”
Campbell added she didn’t want to be a single parent and revealed the importance of a child having a father figure as she recalled her own memories of not having a father around. “I do want a father figure. I think it’s important. It’s the way I feel today, sitting here talking to you.”
Two years later, during an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Campbell again expressed her desires to have children but disclosed she is going by what the “universe brings me.” She said, “Not yet—I’ll see what the universe brings me. For now, what the universe has delivered is very much in the spirit of a ‘chosen family.’”
At the time, Campbell’s “chosen family” were the children she met during her humanitarian work, including aspiring model Adut Akech who would refer to the activist as mama.
