Michelle Dockery is starting her year off with some happy news, as HELLO! understands she has given birth to her first child with husband Jasper Waller-Bridge. The actress was spotted going for a cold-weather walk, while her other half carried their newborn in a baby carrier.
Michelle, 44, looked cosy in a black padded coat, grey beanie hat and burgundy red scarf as she clutched two coffees from Costa on the casual outing. Meanwhile, film producer Jasper had strapped their little one onto his chest.
They looked happy as they were seen juggling parenting duties while doing some New Year shopping. The couple also confirmed their new arrival with a 'Baby Onboard' sticker clearly displayed on their car.
Michelle announced they were expecting in September at the Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale premiere in London when she showed off her growing baby bump in a sweeping pastel blue gown. However, the star has neither revealed her due date or confirmed the birth.
© GettyWhen asked about her pregnancy during an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon, around the same time, she said: "I'm feeling great thanks. I'm entering my peppy phase."
Michelle was first linked to Jasper - who is the the younger brother of actress and screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge - in 2019, having been introduced through mutual friends. They walked down the aisle in 2023, with many of her Downton Abbey co-stars - including Lily James, Hugh Bonneville and Laura Carmichael - in attendance.
© Dave Benett/Getty Images for BFIIt comes just over a decade after Michelle lost her fiancé, John Dineen, to a rare form of cancer. The Irish publicist died in Cork, Ireland in 2015, at the age of 34, just 15 months after being diagnosed.
In 2017, Michelle - who was 33 when John passed away - was asked by The Guardian if she considered herself a widow: "Oh, I refer to myself as a widow, yes. We were engaged, and married at heart, and so I do consider myself a widow."
© Ben Pruchnie/CentrepointIn the same interview, Michelle revealed how she dealt with John's illness in his final months, saying: "I never lost hope. No. I'm not exaggerating when I say that John did not complain once, never, not once, and that gave us strength. It's what keeps you going, that positivity – to never lose that hope for a miracle. I couldn't have done it any other way."
They had kept their relationship private after starting to date in 2013, when they were introduced by Michelle’s Downton Abbey co-star Allen Leech. She briefly referenced him in an interview in 2014 - a year before he proposed and then heartbreaking passed - saying: "I have a wonderful man in my life from Ireland."
HELLO! have approached Michelle Dockery's representatives for comment
