Famed British artist Damien Hirst has shared a delightful life update with followers as he introduced his newborn boy to the world.
Damien and his long-term girlfriend Sophie Cannell posted the joyous news on their social media on Wednesday May 8, as fans sahred their well-wishes to the growing family.
In a classic cringey dad move, Damien, 58, announced the birth to his one million followers with some gorgeous photos of the bundle of joy, alongside the jokey caption: ‘Trying not to let the arrival of this beautiful baby boy interfere with the snooker’.
The first image shows Sophie, 30 – who the Leed-born artist has been dating since 2019 – having a snuggle alongside the baby boy on the hospital bed. The tiny tot was wearing a white and blue patterned onesie.
The second image shows the new father – 28 years Sophie’s senior – perched on the edge of the bed holding the newborn while snooker plays on his phone placed on the side.
Happy fans flocked to the comments to congratulate the brand-new parents.
‘Amazing, one of your best works yet,’ Deborahrushonart wrote. ‘Congratulations and well done mum. Hope she is okay,’ user imadethistochecksomething echoed.
Another fan defended Damien against trolls criticising the artist for becoming a father later in life and confusing him for the grandfather.
‘What is wrong with people? A baby at any age is a blessing, they learn from you, you learn from them it’s a win/win situation no matter how old you are!’ Jeandamgaard commented.
‘Being an older dad is the Best!’ Popeofwelding added.
Sophie also posted an image of just the baby, still unnamed, on her Instagram with the caption: ‘Welcome to the world OUR BOY’.
Sophie revealed she was pregnant in November with a social media post showing off her baby bump while sat at the edge of a pool with the caption: ‘He’s a water boy’.
In December, the couple were spotted pushing a chihuahua around in a pram during a date night in Mayfair.
Damien, who is reported to be the richest living artist in Britain, is already a father-of-three with his ex-partner Maia Norman. They share 28-year-old Connor Ojala, Cassius Atticus, 23, and Cyrus Joe, 18.
Damien rose to fame in the art world in the 90s when his work centring preserved dead animals gained prominence.
The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, a 14-foot (4.3metre) tiger shark immersed in formaldehyde is his best known work.
In 2022, the 58-year-old made headlines for burning up to £10million worth of polka-dot style artworks in protest of NFTs.
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