While romantic comedies are Hugh Grant's bread and butter, the hunky British actor has tried to keep his actual relationships out of the public spotlight.
But when Hugh and his girlfriend Anna Eberstein walked the red carpet at last week's Golden Globes, the Swedish TV producer's baby bump revealed the couple were expecting.
Eberstein's mother Susanne confirmed the good news to the Swedish media outlet Aftonbladet. "I'm very happy to be getting another grandchild. She's due rather soon," she gushed.
But while a pregnancy announcement is usually cause for celebration, the excitement around Grant's fifth child is exposing serious baby drama that has been brewing over the past few years.
The new child will be Grant's third with Eberstein. The couple already have a five-year-old son named John Mungo and a two-year-old daughter whose name is still unknown.
But Grant also has two children with another woman. That might not sound scandalous, but the timing of the births is key.
In 2011, Grant had a daughter named Tabitha, his first child, with a restaurant receptionist named Tinglan Hong. The media made a lot of the fact that Tabitha's Chinese name, Xiao Xi, means "happy surprise."
Eberstein was pregnant with Grant's son John at the same time Hong was pregnant with Tabitha.
But this sordid love story only gets stranger from here.
After John Mungo was born, Grant reunited with Hong and had his third child, a boy named Felix.
But Grant was back with Eberstein soon after, and the couple welcomed their second child (Hugh's fourth) in 2015. Now, of course, Grant and Eberstein are expecting again.
So what explains the movie star's habit of flip-flopping from one woman to another? Grant's views on monogamy might explain it. As he told radio host Howard Stern last year, "I can see the lovely aspect if you marry exactly the right person "” your best friend "” and it's cozy and it's lovely, but people make so many mistakes."
"I think there's something unromantic about marriage," he explained. "You're closing yourself off."
Despite his hesitation to tie the knot and settle down, Grant has nothing but love for his growing family.
"Lots of people warned me about [not falling for my own baby]," he said after his daughter Tabitha was born.
"They said never let anyone know, but the baby period is not that exciting. But I am excited, actually. I thought, well, I'll bluff through it "” but very little bluffing has been required. I like my daughter very much. Fantastic."
You can understand why Grant likes his privacy so much!
[H/T: US Weekly]
