Tullio M. Puglia/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara have reportedly welcomed a baby boy and they could not have chosen a more perfect name.
Gunda director Victor Kossakovsky spilled the beans at the 2020 Zurich Film Festival, where he spoke to reporters following the screening of his new movie. Phoenix served as executive producer of the black and white film, which wordlessly follows a piglet growing up on a farm.
“He just [had a] baby,” Kossakovsky announced when noting the actor’s absence, softly adding that his “beautiful son” was named River.
River shares the name of his late-uncle, River Phoenix, who tragically died in 1993 following an accidental drug overdose. The Stand By Me actor was 23.
Joaquin, who was extremely close with his older sibling, was 19 when his brother passed.
The Joker actor is now ensuring his brother’s name lives on by passing it onto his newborn son. Phoenix, 45, and Mara, 35, first sparked pregnancy rumors back in May after paparazzi snapped photos of what appeared to be a baby bump, but the two never confirmed the reports.
The notoriously private couple, who started dating in 2016, became engaged last year. They have yet to respond to reports that they welcomed a child.
The video of Kossakovsky’s announcement was posted to Instagram on Sunday by blogger Daphne Chaimovitz, who was in attendance of the Q&A session.
By Megan Stone
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