Country Star Thomas Rhett and Wife Lauren Welcome Fifth Child, a Son
Country music sensation Thomas Rhett and his wife, author Lauren Gregory Akins, have joyfully expanded their family with the arrival of their fifth child. The couple announced the birth of their son, Brave Elijah Akins, in a heartfelt joint Instagram post on Friday, sharing several tender photographs of the newborn.
A Heartwarming Announcement and Family Details
The Marry Me hitmaker, aged 35, and Lauren, 36, revealed that their baby boy was born last week, weighing nearly 10 pounds and arriving almost two weeks early. In their social media caption, they expressed overwhelming happiness, writing, "Welcome to the world Brave. Oh. my. goodness. Our hearts are just in a big ole puddle with this precious baby BOY." They added gratitude that he did not wait another two weeks to be born.
Lauren praised Thomas as her "biggest champion in labor & delivery", noting that he helped deliver their son and was the first to announce, with tears and shock, "It's a BOY" to everyone in the room. The couple concluded their message by stating, "We are so grateful God chose us to have YOU cutie pie Your four sisters are smitten and we are completely over the moon in love with you big Brave boy."
Celebrity Reactions and Family Background
A host of celebrity friends quickly flooded the comments section with congratulations. Country singer Megan Moroney exclaimed, "AMAZING!!!! SO HAPPY FOR YALL", while Tucker Wetmore commented, "Congrats my friend.. God is good." Actress Sadie Robertson Huff added, "Awwwww YAY YAY! Congrats."
The couple, who announced they were expecting their fifth child in August 2025, are already parents to four daughters. Their family includes Willa Gray, 10, adopted from Uganda in 2017, and biological daughters Ada James, eight, Lennon Love, six, and Lillie Carolina, four. In their pregnancy announcement, Thomas captioned, "Here we go again! We've got some really excited big sisters in our house. God is so good."
Personal Journey and Career Updates
Thomas and Lauren, who first met in first grade, began dating in middle school and married in 2012, recently celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary. Their relationship has faced challenges, with Lauren previously confessing in 2024 that she resented Thomas's successful music career, feeling her life had stalled while his continued. She described a breaking point in their marriage, stating, "I hate you, and I feel alone and I feel lost and I hate your career and I hate the pressure that it puts on us."
The devout Christian couple underwent intensive counseling, which helped repair their marriage. Beyond family life, Thomas remains active in his career, having released his seventh studio album, About a Woman, in 2024. He is also set to join Morgan Wallen's Still The Problem tour as a special guest, with the tour commencing on April 10 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
This new addition marks a significant milestone for the Rhett-Akins family, blending joy, faith, and resilience as they navigate parenthood with five children under their care.
