Naomi Campbell welcomes her first child in surprise Instagram post

Written by Jacqui Palumbo, CNN

Supermodel Naomi Campbell has welcomed her first child, announcing the unexpected birth Tuesday on social media. A representative for Campbell confirmed the news.

“A beautiful little blessing has chosen me to be her mother,” Campbell wrote on Instagram. “So honoured 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.”

The announcement accompanied a sweet photo of her hand cradling the newborn’s feet, with the delicate floral print of the baby’s gown visible in the image.

It’s the first child for the 50-year-old supermodel, who made no public acknowledgment that she was expecting a baby. The birth announcement comes just a few days ahead of her own birthday.

Campbell has said in the past that she wanted to be a mother. In 2017, she told the Evening Standard that she had considered having a baby rather than adopting. “I think about having children all the time…But now with the way science is I think I can do it when I want,” she said.

Following the birth announcement, friends of Campbell flocked to her Instagram comments to wish her well. Actress Zoe Saldana wrote, “Oh my goodness congrats lady! What a blessing!!!”

Designer Marc Jacobs, who has worked with Campbell since 1994, also responded to the happy news.

“Oh my God!!!!! Today is the day?? How absolutely incredible,” Jacobs commented. “How lucky she is and how lucky you are! What a wonderful Mother you will be. Blessings all around.”

Naomi Campbell attends The 2019 Met Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes on Fashion at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 06, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage) Credit: Theo Wargo/WireImage/Getty Images

Last spring, Campbell appeared on the May/June cover of Essence for the publication’s 50th anniversary as well as her 50th birthday, which arrived as restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic kept people at home, and magazines were finding creative ways to keep publishing new imagery. Campbell photographed herself with her iPhone for the cover — a first for the magazine — and did her own hair, makeup and styling.

Campbell is one of the most recognizable supermodels in the world, and she has indicated that she has no desire to hang it up.

“‘Retire’ isn’t a word I ever want to use,” she wrote in an essay for the book “Naomi. Updated Edition,” released by Taschen earlier this year. “‘Chill out’ maybe, but ‘retire’ never.”

She also reflected on the racial prejudice she experienced early in her career and the ways in which the industry has changed since she began.

“I like to think this industry is getting better for Black models. You see girls of colour on the catwalk and it’s encouraging to have girls like Joan Smalls in campaigns for Chanel and Liya Kebede in Bottega Veneta. Things have changed. But prejudice never entirely goes away,” she wrote. “Now I’m trying to shine a light on Africa, to connect African designers and models with the global community… I want to give back. It really is as simple as that. I can’t do it all, but I can do my part, and I want to.”

source: cnn.com