Scottish actor James McAvoy revealed he had welcomed a secret child with his current wife in his 40s, following his divorce from his ex-partner, Bad Sisters star Anne-Marie Duff.
The 46-year-old is married to Lisa Liberati, whom he met while on the set of Split while she was working as a personal assistant to the film's director M. Night Shyamalan. The star finally confirmed the couple had got married in 2022, after years of speculation.
At the time of their meeting, James was still married to Anne-Marie, with whom he shares a 15-year-old son, Brendan, and was in the process of separating from her after 11 years of marriage.
Earlier this month, the Speak No Evil star revealed he welcomed a second son, his first child with his new wife, four years ago, and kept it a secret from the rest of the world.
He told The Guardian: "Having a kid at 42 is definitely easier in some ways. I worry less. I’m a bit more philosophical. But it’s also harder, because you’re just older and tireder."
James lives in London with Lisa and their child, but spends some of their time "a wee bit in Philly", where the American producer's family live.
© Getty ImagesA marriage breakdown
James and Anne-Marie first met in 2003 on the set of the comedy TV series, Shameless, during which they played love interests, Steve and Fiona.
The British actors' on-screen romance translated into their real, everyday lives, and they quietly tied the knot on 11 November 2006. Four years later, the couple welcomed their son, Brendan, and filed for divorce a decade after their wedding, in 2016.
At the time, they released a joint statement that read: "It is with tremendous sadness that we have come to the decision to divorce. We enter this next phase with continued friendship, love and respect for one another and the shared focus of caring for our son."
It added: "We ask that you respect our and, most importantly, our child’s privacy during this time."
© David M. BenettBrendan McAvoy
Born in 2010, 15-year-old Brendan's life has been kept extremely private by his famous parents as they chose to keep details about their marriage and child out of the spotlight.
In the past, James has briefly commented on his parenting style and revealed: "I think that sometimes we try and protect our kids from way too much, and we end up not preparing them for the world that they're going to have to step into."
The star continued telling Screen Rant in 2011: "Which is why they're all staying with their parents until they're 35 at the moment. I want mine out the door when he's 18."
He also addressed his efforts to keep his personal life private and shared: "One of the things that’s stayed the same is that I still don’t talk about my personal life, really," with Mr Porter.
James added: "Me and Anne-Marie, when we were together, it was our policy not to speak about each other in public. We rarely broke that and if we did, it was for tiny things - 'Yes, we are cooking turkey this Christmas' - and that policy still stands. Even separated, we’re still respectful of each other and committed to doing that publicly and personally."
© FilmMagicCo-parenting
The actor revealed he had become a father for the second time in his early 40s, and welcomed a son with his wife Lisa, who is now four years old.
Similar to his first marriage, James and Lisa are tight-lipped about their relationship and their parenting journey, so much so that he kept his second child a secret for almost five years.
It was reported by the Daily Mail that in July 2020, the couple moved into a house in London after spending a portion of lockdown at an apartment in the city, after he left the £1.9 million four-bed home he shared with Anne-Marie and Brendan. Two years later, he confirmed he had married Lisa.
