Family of four! Julia Stiles and her husband, Preston Cook, announced on Wednesday, January 26, that they welcomed baby No. 2.
“Welcome to the world, Baby Arlo!” the actress, 40, captioned an Instagram photo of the infant’s feet. “The newest addition to our family, reminding me how infinite love can be.”
The couple first became parents in October 2017 when their son, Strummer, now 4, arrived. Two months into parenthood, Stiles was already clapping back at mom-shamers via Instagram.
“It was brought to my attention that in the previous photo I am not holding my baby correctly,” the 10 Things I Hate About You star wrote after sharing a December 2017 photo of herself holding the infant in a “front pack” carrier. “Wow, I didn’t expect that. What was supposed to be a shout out of products I like, suddenly becomes an invitation to comment on my baby, and my ability as a mother. That’s the internet for you, the carnivorous plant from Little Shop of Horrors. I was trying to keep much of my son’s image private, including, I guess, his little feet. And it was just a photo taken at home, not how I normally carry him around. Thanks for the concern, anyway.”
The New York native told her followers at the time to “always read safety instructions,” concluding, “Instagrammers: instead of writing snarky comments about a 5-week-old, try dancing around your living room to a Clash record. It’s way more fun.”
The Golden Globe nominee revealed in November 2021 that her second child was on the way when she debuted her baby bump at the Humans premiere. While walking the carpet, the expectant star cradled her budding belly in a black dress. Stiles did not share her pregnancy on her social media account, but her representative subsequently confirmed the news to Us Weekly.
The Prince and Me star announced her first pregnancy in a similar way in 2017 when she showed her bump in an interview. Stiles was pregnant when she and Cook tied the knot in September 2017.
“Who doesn’t love a shotgun wedding?” the bride asked her Instagram followers after the Labor Day nuptials.
The couple started dating in 2015, and the camera operator proposed in December of that same year. The engagement was a surprise to Stiles, she told Kelly Ripa in July of the following year.
“We had had a conversation waiting for an elevator one day, where he was randomly like, out of nowhere, ‘With jewelry, you don’t really wear silver or platinum. You’re more into gold,’” the Columbia University grad said at the time. “And then I went, ‘What is up with this conversation?’”