Famous ballerina Misty Copeland revealed shocking news this week. Misty and her husband Olu Evans recently welcome their first child together! The co-founder of Greatness Wins, an apparel brand she founded along with Derek Jeter, Wayne Gretzky, and Chris Riccobono, opened up about her life as a mom and taking a break from the stage.
In an exclusive with People magazine, Misty revealed that she welcomed her first child – a son named Jackson – three months ago. The American Ballet Theater’s Principal dancer shared that she’s taking some time off from dancing to focus on motherhood and a new fashion line, designing pieces for Greatness Wins’ spring women’s line. “I’m on maternity leave right now. I have a 3-month-old. But I will be back on the stage in 2023, hopefully, in the fall.”
While Misty participated in a documentary in 2015, she values her privacy and plans to keep her son’s life out of the public eye. “My personal life I’ve really kept pretty private my whole career. Definitely, with my son, I wouldn’t have him probably be on camera for anything. But when it comes to my career and what I’m doing, I’m really open.”
The “Bunheads” author also expressed her gratitude for her husband and the support he’s shown her (and continues to show her over the years). “It’s never easy, but I wouldn’t be able to do it without having a support system. My husband is incredible and he’s an amazing dad. He’s been there for me throughout my entire career to help me to be able to balance those things. But you have to make sacrifices. I’m not at big events every night and out partying and going to dinners. I have to make sacrifices to be able to do all the things that I want to do.”
Congratulations to Misty and Olu on the birth of their first child! We hope they enjoying their life as new parents to baby Jackson.
Kate Fann (she/her) is the BabyNames.com celebrity blogger, as well as an established content writer, aspiring author, and social media expert. She has been featured in online publications such as Bolde, ManoByte, Medium, The Social Observer, and more. Kate has ghostwritten numerous romance novels and is currently working on publishing her own works in the Young Adult genre.
Kate lives in East Tennessee with her husband Casey and her two sons, Quinn and Noah. When she's not writing or scrolling Instagram, Kate can be found tasting delicious wines, playing with make-up, baking yummy treats, or hiking the beautiful Smoky Mountains.
