Major congratulations are in order for Oscar-nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe and her husband, Brandon Frankel, as the couple has welcomed their twins, son Cooper and daughter Maya!
“Welcome to the world Cooper and Maya! Our babies arrived in April and brought so much life and excitement into our existence. They are sweet and funny and love cuddling with us and are developing a beautiful sibling-hood with each other,” the couple said in a statement on Instagram.
They continued, “These last 2 months with them have been so fun getting to know their distinct personalities and figuring out the silly things we can do to make them laugh and it’s been absolute Heaven. We are so grateful and honored to be their parents.”
In addition to their announcement, the new parents sat down for a family photo shoot and interview with Shutterstock. In the snaps, Sidibe is glowing in bright orange alongside Frankel as they hold their newborns.
“Brandon always wanted to name a son Cooper, so we call him ‘Coop,’ and Maya was named shortly before our baby moon to the Mayan Riviera in Mexico. Both twins have traditional West African middle names after members of my family,” Sidibe tells Shutterstock of the kids’ names.
The Precious star added. “They’re both extremely strong and hilarious, though they have yet to really interact with each other.”
In her interview, Sidibe opened up about the twins’ budding personalities. “Cooper will sometimes speak for Maya and alert us that she’s about to spit up. Maya loves her name being sung to her and is the queen of comedic timing, and Cooper loves his sleep and has the funniest facial expressions. They both love cuddling with Mom and Dad.”
Sidibe and her husband look forward to watching their kids grow. “We’re excited for outfits and getting them dressed up, for sing-alongs, trips and to explore, and raising them to be good people,” she said.
