Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively’s fourth baby is officially a boy… the Deadpool icon said it himself.
The 47-year-old actor announced the news in an Instagram post. There he shared his connection with John Bell, a Wrexham AFC fan who transformed his grief over the loss of his son, Jake, into a positive force.
In a clip shared on Friday, July 26, Reynolds introduces Bell. The proud father appears dressed as Jake’s favorite comic book character, Deadpool. Meanwhile, he carries a bathtub to promote awareness of mental health challenges.
Reynolds treats the father to a full Deadpool movie makeover. However, things soon turn serious. Reynolds speaks with the father, who shares heartfelt memories, describing his son as funny, comical, and his everything.
After losing Jake, Bell describes being “in a very dark place.”
“I was planning my own death. Talking myself into staying because my family needs me, my kids need me,” he added. “What I do now keeps me alive daily because I’ve made my peace with death. I’m gonna be reunited with him at some point, but it damn right ain’t now.”
After praising Bell’s dedication to raising funds and awareness for mental health issues, Reynolds shares that he, too, has a son.
“The resilience it takes to, you know, put one foot in front of the other as many times as you’ve done it. [To] transmute that much grief into something powerfully useful,” Reynolds told Bell. “I’m very grateful that you shared his story.”
“I want to share with you that I too have a son. That if … boy, John, if I love him one-tenth as much as you love Jake, I feel like I’ve done a pretty damn good job,” Reynolds added.
Ryan Reynolds Previously Shared the Name of His and Blake Lively’s Youngest Child
Of course, Reynolds hinted at the sex of his child earlier. During the New York City premiere of Deadpool & Wolverine on July 22, Reynolds announced the name of his and Lively’s fourth and youngest child.
“I want to thank my kids, James, Inez, Betty, Olin, who are here,” Reynolds said at one point to the assembled crowd.
According to Name Berry, Olin is a Swedish boy’s name meaning “to inherit” or “ancestor’s heir.” It is a diminutive form of Olaf.