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Bradley Cooper makes very rare admission about raising his daughter with ex Irina Shayk

A Star Is Born actor Bradley is dad to six-year-old Lea

Bradley Cooper the 30th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival on January 4, 2019 in Palm Springs, California
Rebecca Lewis
Rebecca Lewis - Los Angeles
ReporterLos Angeles
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Bradley Cooper is parenting his six-year-old daughter Lea with ex-partner Irina Shayk, and now the actor has revealed how he is approaching parenthood.

The Oscar-nominated actor has been sober for 19 years, and he acknowledged in a recent TV episode that his own experience with his father dying in his arms have led to him making sure that he does not burden his own child with his trauma. 

Bradley Cooper and Bear Grylls sit on a swing bed on the mountain side in Wyoming© NatGeo
Bradley appeared alongside Bear Grylls in his new show

"You learn from your predecessor's mistakes. And I'll make tons that hopefully Lea will learn from, and then being rigorous with myself to grow, to help unburden her with any of my [expletive]," the Guardians of the Galaxy star told Bear Grylls in an episode of Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge. 

Bradley joined Bear in the first episode of the new season on National Geographic, which follows the famed survivalist teaching celebrity guests essential survival skills. During the episode, Bradley opened up on the death of his father, sharing that his passing left the actor with "a nihilistic attitude after, for a little bit… it was not great for a little bit until I realized I had to just embrace who I actually am and try to find peace with that. And then it sorta evened out".

Irina Shayk, Lea Cooper and Bradley Cooper are seen in the West Village on June 02, 2021 in New York City© Gotham
Irina Shayk, Lea Cooper and Bradley Cooper are seen in the West Village on June 02, 2021 in New York City

Bradley shares his daughter with model Irina, and although they keep her out of the limelight, Irina also detailed how Bradley is "the most amazing Dad".

However, she also revealed in the interview with ELLE that she hates the term co parenting: "I never understood the term co-parenting…When I’m with my daughter, I'm 100 percent a mother, and when she's with her dad, he's 100 percent her dad. Co-parenting is parenting."

Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk are seen walking in SoHo on October 24, 2018 in New York City© Getty
Bradley and Irina welcomed their daughter in 2017

Bradley and Irina split in 2019 but remain very close friends and are often pictured on vacation and at events together, however Bradley and Lea recently indulged in a solo trip to Paris, France.

In photos shared by Page Six, the father-daughter duo were seen enjoying a day out at the Tuileries Gardens' fair, riding on the fairground rides and wandering through the manicured lawns. 

Irina Shayk and Bradley Cooper attend the 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 06, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California© Getty
The pair split in 2019

Bradley has previously dated Zoe Saldana and Suki Waterhouse, and was most recently linked to Huma Abedin.  

Irina, however, has sparked rumors she is dating Tom Brady after they were pictured together in Los Angeles when Tom drove his car to pick up his new flame from the famed Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles, before driving her to his home. Pictures were also taken the following morning of the pair leaving the property, and sitting in a car fondly looking at each other.

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