It's a really, really good time to be One Life to Live alum Tika Sumpter (ex-Layla Williamson). Did we say really? Because we meant really.
Not only did the actress recently wow critics with her portrayal of First Lady Michelle Obama in the film Southside With You and become both the executive producer and star of CBS's The 313, but she also just gave birth to her first child.
The actress took to Twitter to announce the arrival of her tiny bundle of joy, named Ella-Loren. "Dear Mom's, dad's and caretakers," she tweeted. "I'm slow clapping for each and every one of you. It ain't no joke."
Dear Mom's, dad's and caretakers, I'm slow clapping for each and every one of you. It ain't no joke. 🍼🛌 pic.twitter.com/le4Yizay7R
— Tika Sumpter (@iamtikasumpter) October 25, 2016
Many fans of the actress might actually be a bit surprised to hear that Sumpter has become a mom, considering she kept the news of her pregnancy a secret for most of the nine months. "She's my first child, and I wanted to experience every moment of this pregnancy for myself and enjoy it without everybody else being in it with me," she told People. "I didn't want to hear, 'Who's the dad? Are you with the dad?' Social media can be harsh, and I'm a mama bear, protective of my family," she continued. "So that's why I waited to tell people, including some friends."
However, she broke the news in August -- when she was about seven months along -- during promotion for Southside With You. In one interview, Sumpter explained she was especially proud to be making the movie while pregnant with her little one. "It makes me so excited, especially because I'm having a girl," she said. "I feel like I'm birthing this movie, I'm birthing her, and this is the time where women are really standing up for themselves... I feel like it's the time of the woman and what an amazing time to be alive right now with having a child and bringing a girl into this world and knowing that she can be fierce and fabulous and smart and stand on her own two feet and be proud of who she is, as is her mom."
Would you like to leave a congratulatory message for Sumpter? What do you think about her decision to keep her pregnancy secret for as long as she could? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.
