Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson has announced that his partner Maya Haile is pregnant with the couple’s second child! The Chopped judge shared an image of his family, with his wife’s pregnant belly in view while she held up two fingers to signify their second baby. Marcus shared more than just a pregnancy announcement, though!
“Maya and I are very excited to share that Zion is going to be a big brother!” the Top Chef Masters winner wrote. Marcus then shared both the gender and name of his child in his pregnancy announcement. It’s a girl! “We will be welcoming a baby girl in the new year.” They have chosen to name their daughter Grace Ethiopia.
Marcus revealed the touching reason why he and his wife, who are both Ethiopian, opted to use their home country’s name as their daughter’s moniker. “Our fellow Ethiopians have experienced such a difficult year, so it means a lot to us to honor and celebrate our country of origin through the birth of our daughter. We are sending our joy and light to you and our community.”
The New York Times Bestselling Author welcomed his first child with Maya, son Zion Mandela, in July of 2016. Zion arrived 7 years after Marcus and Maya tied the knot. The couple was married in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, in 2009. Marcus also has an adult child, a daughter named Zoe, from a previous relationship.
Congratulations to Marcus and Maya on the news of their baby girl! We wish them lots of love as they prepare to welcome Grace Ethiopia into the world.
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.
