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Eddie Murphy Says Working With Daughter in ‘Coming 2 America’ Is a ‘Proud Papa Moment’

By Mark Chalifoux
Eddie Murphy Daughter Legacy
(Instagram/bellamurphy._/Amazon Prime)

Eddie Murphy is one of the most legendary comedians to tell jokes into a microphone or on a movie screen. He single-handedly kept SNL in existence during his breakout years, he was a major box office draw and had some of the highest-rated stand-up specials of all time. But if you ask him about his legacy, none of that matters.

Because someone did ask him, The Today Show’s Al Roker, during Murphy’s media tour promoting his “Coming to America” sequel. Murphy said when it comes to legacy, it’s not a film.

“My legacy is not my work. My legacy is my children,” he said. “My legacy are these 10 human beings that I brought into this world.”

One of those human beings, his daughter Bella, even auditioned and scored a role in the movie. And she’s playing a natural role, as Murphy’s on-screen daughter (one of them, at least). And that made filming a whole lot more special for Murphy.

“I can’t even put into words…you know, if you have children, your child could do like a school play, and your heart will burst with pride,” he said. “To look over on the set, seeing her, I had a big giant proud papa moment every day.”

A big part of “Coming to America 2” is Murphy’s role as a dad and his search for his long-lost son in America. But Bella and Murphy as Prince Akeem don’t have to do all the heavy lifting in the star-studded sequel, as the film also features Arsenio Hall, James Earl Jones, and Shari Headley reprising their roles from the first, and they are joined by Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones, Wesley Snipes, and Tracy Morgan.

The film hits Amazon Prime on March 5th.

Patrick Mahomes Is Officially a Girl Dad

By Mark Chalifoux
Mahomes Girl Dad
(Instagram/Patrick Mahomes)

Patrick Mahomes has had many titles, Super Bowl champion, All-Pro, MVP. But now he gets to claim the most important title of all: dad. Mahomes and fiancée Brittany Matthews announced the birth of their daughter Sterling Skyee Mahomes this week. Patrick Mahomes, welcome to the club (and in the girl dad division).

The 25-year-old Mahomes is coming off a crazy season, both on and off the field. He announced his engagement in late summer, led the Chiefs back to the Super Bowl, where they fell just short to ageless wonder Tom Brady and his Buccaneers. And then weeks later, he officially becomes a dad.

 

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A post shared by Patrick Mahomes II (@patrickmahomes)

The couple was a little worried about Sterling coming early, and how Mahomes would handle a pre-Super Bowl birth, but fortunately, she waited till the off-season, where Patrick can spend it in the least relaxing way possible; at home with a newborn.

After the couple announced her birth, she was welcomed to Kansas City by the mayor.

In fact, it seemed like the whole city was celebrating the good news.

Maybe next season we’ll see an even stronger Mahomes, now that he’ll be playing with that dad strength.

Dad and Daughter Win Hearts on Instagram Recreating Classic Movie Scenes

By Yael Meshulam
dad daughter recreate movies
(Instagram/tot_for_tot_remakes)

For many of us, COVID changed the way we work, the way we socialize, and the way we stay entertained. The shift was especially difficult for parents trying to balance work and parenting simultaneously, keeping kids focused on remote learning and still staying productive. Out of necessity, families have found new ways to have fun at home and for some, this spur-of-the-moment creativity has led to incredible results – projects that never would have happened without a bit of desperation.

Alex and Jacqueline Zane are both attorneys, and early on in quarantine, they developed a system for balancing work and parenting. Alex would care for their two kids in the morning while Jacqueline worked, and in the afternoon, they’d swap. One morning when Alex Zane was scrambling for ways to entertain 5-year-old Matilda and 1-year-old Holden, he was hit with unexpected (but extremely welcome) inspiration.

“I desperately needed activities and structure to maintain my sanity and get through the days,” Alex Zane told The Dad. “At one point I lugged a large plastic car inside the house for my kids to do a car wash with in the shower. They loved it but of course it took me a few weeks to bring the plastic car back outside. The plastic cozy coupe sat in our living room for a week and one day Matilda climbed on top of it and tried surfing. Something clicked and I was reminded of Teen Wolf and Mike J Fox surfing on top of the van.”

Zane taught Matilda the proper way to play air guitar, then snapped a photo of Matilda on top of the Cozy Coupe. Zane sent the photo to his friend Andrew Kelly, a photographer with expert Photoshop skills.

“I asked him if he could make her look like a werewolf. Without any follow up questions or hesitation he immediately transformed her into a werewolf and we posted it on Facebook. We got pretty good feedback and we decided we’d try to do one a day five times a week. We somehow did that for eleven straight weeks.”

 

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A post shared by Alex Zane (@tot_for_tot_remakes)

Since the pair started their creative journey, Matilda and her dad have recreated over 80 iconic movie scenes and accumulated nearly 40,000 followers on Instagram. The duo’s creations are both nostalgic and brilliant (and on a $5 prop budget per shoot, with Matilda’s mom stepping in as the on-scene hair and makeup expert), inviting the next generation to appreciate some of the best films of all time.

 

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A post shared by Alex Zane (@tot_for_tot_remakes)

“It’s fun to try and figure out a way to kidding an unsettling scene and suck all the weight and dread out of it,” Zane explained. “The best part of this is getting to introduce Matilda to some 80s and 90s classics that age might have otherwise missed – she’s pumped when her scene pops up in a film. We pause it and she screams and screams.”

 

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A post shared by Alex Zane (@tot_for_tot_remakes)

Scrolling through Zane and Matilda’s Instagram page (which you absolutely need to do), it’s immediately evident that some scenes aren’t exactly – uh, child friendly. And as kids do, Matilda asks seemingly endless questions about each scene. Zane has expanded his creative range outside of the photos themselves, weaving stories that seem plausible enough to a 5-year-old to end the line of questioning.

“One time she was showing a cousin some of the photos and I heard her say ‘thats about a wizard who took his mouth away …’ I had to look over to realize she was telling them about The Matrix. I can’t stress enough that she thinks silence of the lambs is about a man who accidentally dropped a quarter down a well…”

Dad and daughter recreate classic movie scenes
(Instagram/tot_for_tot_remakes/)

We truly cannot get enough of these photos, and fortunately, the Zane family is still going strong.

The Rock Relishes Being a Girl Dad, Believes “Every Man Needs a Daughter”

By Yael Meshulam
The Rock says that every man needs a daughter
(Instagram/therock)

It’s no secret that Dwayne The Rock Johnson adores life as a girl dad. With three daughters ranging from ages 19 to 2 years old, The Rock has spent nearly two decades as a dedicated father to his girls. The Rock’s oldest daughter, Simone, recently made the leap that every parent dreams of – she’s following her family’s legacy, falling in love with wrestling and signing with the WWE. Meanwhile, the father of three has his hands full caring for his 2-year-old and 5-year-old, and he’s loving every minute of it.

In a post The Rock shared on Instagram last Friday, the 48-year-old took a moment to reflect on life and express his gratitude for the hand he was dealt. Given that the wrestler-turned-actor followed in his own dad’s footsteps, it’s reasonable to imagine The Rock may have hoped for a son to follow in his. The Rock, however, will be the first to point out just how wrong you are.

“Every man wants a son, but every man needs a daughter,” he explains. Beside the caption is a photo of The Rock, towering and tank-like, walking down a beautiful path with his 2-year-old daughter, Tiana. In this moment, it’s evident that nothing in the world is more important to the hard-working actor than being a father. He looks lovingly down at his little girl as she cranes her neck upwards to meet his gaze, her arm raised to meet his dangling hand.

 

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A post shared by therock (@therock)

“All my girls have become the great equalizers in my life – I’m surrounded by estrogen and wouldn’t have it any other way,” The Rock continues. “And man I hope she never gets tired of holding these big ol’ dinosaur hands, though I suspect one day she will.“

Parenting is hard – there’s no question about it. But The Rock has mastered the art of capturing and appreciating life’s most beautiful moments, ones that remind you to take a step back and cherish what you have. Kids are known for growing up too dang fast, and as a father of a 19-year-old, The Rock knows to get all the hand-holds in while he still can.

Single Dad Adopts Girl With Down Syndrome Rejected by 20 Families

By Mark Chalifoux
Alba and Luca Trapanese
(Instagram/trapaluca)

Alba was just a few days old when she was put up for adoption by her parents because she has Down syndrome. Sadly, 20 other families passed on adopting her by the time she was only 13 days old. But her story got a happy ending when a single dad stepped in to adopt the adorable weeks-old infant.

 

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Wedding Livio e Serena❤

A post shared by Luca Trapanese (@trapaluca) on

Luca Trapanese’s story went viral with the release of a book he wrote about his life with Alba, a story he says “destroys many stereotypes about fatherhood, religion and family.” Adoption laws in Italy are fairly strict, and rarely are single parents approved, but Alba’s condition warranted an amendment to the normal regulations. And Luca said he experienced no trepidation about the decision, driving to the hospital to fill out the paperwork the moment he was approved.

(UPDATE: We chatted with this hero dad to see how he and Alba are doing. Read more here.)

 

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Ma poi andrò in vacanza anche io?😂😂😂#Procida #estate2019 #Alba #maldischiena

A post shared by Luca Trapanese (@trapaluca) on

Luca had a history of volunteering and working with children with disabilities, so he felt prepared to raise a child with Down syndrome. And he couldn’t wait to become a dad.

“When I held her in my arms, I was filled with joy,” he told the BBC. “I felt she was my daughter immediately. I knew I was ready to be her father.”

 

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I momenti di relax con Alba sono veramente pochi😂😂😂 #alba #nataperte #padre #diversità #single #roma #nuoviamici

A post shared by Luca Trapanese (@trapaluca) on

Luca said Alba, now 1.5 years old, loves to play and meet new people. “I will spend the rest of my life with a girl I love,” Luca says, “and we will do many wonderful things together.”

Girl Dads Bond Over Being Used As Makeup Test Subjects

By Mark Chalifoux
Girl Dads Bond Over Makeup
(Instagram/bcube40)

The #GirlDad movement is strong these days, as dads take more pride than ever in raising daughters. And it’s not without its share of *unique * challenges, to be sure. One Ohio dad went viral around the holidays for showing the price dads can pay when their daughters get makeup for Christmas…and need a test subject to use it on.

A Dayton dad, Brad Cubbie, got his two daughters, aged 10 and 6, makeup kits for Christmas. This came after he repeatedly tried to talk them out of it, telling them they didn’t need makeup and ‘they were so pretty without it.’ It was their mom who told him it was just for fun, so he got the kits for them. And then the 6-year-old wanted to see it in action…on him.

 

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A post shared by Brad Cubbie (@bcube40)

Listen, we have ALL been here before. This is something any dad of daughters has gone through, whether it’s makeup, dress-up, nails, etc. It’s almost a rite of passage to be a hilarious canvass for your daughters to play on. I’ll never forget the first time my daughter begged to do my nails, nor will I forget the reaction from my friends when I met them at a sports bar that night.

But, again, we have ALL been there. Just the fact that the picture resonated so hard with people is because they can relate. The tweet was shared tens of thousands of times, with hundreds of thousands of likes, he spoke to Good Morning America and a number of other media outlets. But the coolest part of the story was seeing how many dads in the comments had their own story, different elements, same result.

“To see how many people it’s reached and how many dads … it’s become a thread people really enjoy,” he told Good Morning America.


Nothing more dad than Girl Dads looking fresh.

Ryan Reynolds Says He Loves Having Daughters and ‘Being a Girl Dad’

By Mark Chalifoux
Reynolds Girl Dad
(Getty/Axelle/Bauer-Griffin)

The coolest celebrities are the ones that don’t take themselves too seriously and manage to keep things in perspective, and few people check both boxes like Ryan Reynolds. He went up another notch in our book, thanks to his latest interview with Access Hollywood, where Reynolds talks about how much he loves ‘being a girl dad.’

We already appreciated Reynolds for stuff he’s done like Deadpool and bringing Rick Moranis out of retirement. We dig him even more for how much he loves being a dad. He was talking to Access Hollywood, promoting his new movie “The Croods: A New Age”, when he said his daughters (and wife Blake Lively) are ‘the most capable people I know.’

“If anything got scary in my life, they’re the first people I would lean on because they have wisdom and strength and they’re calm under fire,” he said. “They have courage under fire.”

Reynolds said, as the youngest of four boys, he never ‘in a million years’ imagined he’d have three daughters. But, he said he loves it.

“It has just been such a ride, and I love every second of it,” he said. He also explained that he and his wife don’t do movies at the same time, so the family can stay together at all times.

“ I think that’s been the best part of it is that we really don’t spend a lot of time apart. I get to spend a lot of time with my girls.”

Reynolds also feels the same frustration many parents have had when it comes to homeschooling. When he was on The Tonight Show in the spring, he said the family was getting through it by trying to make it as educational as possible, before joking (admitting?) he’s been “mostly drinking.”

Remembering the Hall of Famer and Girl Dad on Kobe Bryant Day

By Mark Chalifoux
Remembering Kobe Bryant
(Getty/Chris Delmas/AFP)

He was one of the greatest basketball players of all time, but the job he loved even more was being a girl dad. And today, August 24, has been declared Kobe Bryant Day by Orange County. Bryant wore numbers 8 and 24 in the NBA, which is why they chose 8/24. It’s also one day after Bryant’s birthday, as Kobe would’ve turned 42 on Sunday.

It was a tragic helicopter crash in late January that claimed the lives of Bryant, his daughter Gianna, John Altobelli, his wife Keri and their daughter Alyssa; Christina Mauser; Ara Zobayan; Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton.

In the outpouring of grief in the aftermath, we learned a lot about Kobe. Players and coaches shared touching stories of how Kobe affected their lives, but one of the most touching was an ESPN anchor’s discussion with Kobe about how much he loved being a dad. Especially being a girl dad.

On his birthday, there were a lot of special remembrances posted by his friends and from former teammates. If you’re starting with one, watch the tribute Nike put together. The moving video, narrated by Kendrick Lamar, explains how Kobe made us all better.

The Players Tribune posted a touching video.

LeBron James posted a throwback to Bryant’s 30th birthday, and how they celebrated together.


The LA Dodgers all wore Kobe jerseys before their game Sunday, and they saw Kobe in everything they did.

What’s been remarkable is the impact Kobe made on the sports and entertainment worlds. Even during the time of Covid, when the pandemic has thrown normal life into chaos, tributes and murals to Kobe keep popping up. At current count, there are more than 320 Kobe murals around the world. His partner in crime on the Lakers, Shaquille O’Neal, reflected on the enduring legacy of Kobe Bryant.

But naturally, the most gut-wrenching tribute came from his wife Vanessa. She posted a picture of the two of them and a raw and emotional letter to her late husband. She said she’s been trying to stay strong for their other three children and that he’d be so proud of his girls.

“God I miss you both so much,” she wrote. “Our lives feel so empty without you and Gigi. I’ve been completely broken inside. As much as I want to cry, I put a smile on my face to make our daughters days shine a little brighter. I’m not the strong one, they are.”

She also said she wishes they could all wake up from their horrible nightmare or that she could’ve taken the place of her husband and daughter.

“You were supposed to miss me. Gigi was supposed to be here with her sisters. It should’ve been me.”

Of course, the basketball world paid tribute to the legend on Sunday, and the Lakers will be wearing Black Mamba jerseys for game 4 of their series with Portland. Former teammate Pau Gasol also posted a touching tribute to Kobe, and Vanessa shared a sweet photo of Gasol with one of Bryant’s daughters on a recent boating trip. Gasol and his family have stayed close with the Bryant’s, as evidenced by a photo shared by Gasol.

 

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My wife, my future baby, my sister and my nieces. So much beauty in one picture #Family ❤️

A post shared by Pau (@paugasol) on

The sports world won’t forget Kobe Bryant for a long time. But even more important than the legacy he left on the court, is remembering him for what he loved most, being a dad.

UPDATE: Single Dad Adopts Girl With Down Syndrome Rejected by 20 Families

By Yael Meshulam
Luca and Alba Trapanese
(Instagram/trapaluca)

Remember Luca Trapanse and his daughter, Alba? Here’s a quick refresher, in case you somehow forgot this incredible duo. Nearly three years ago, Luca adopted an adorable little girl named Alba. Amazing in itself, right? This was no ordinary adoption, though. Alba was put up for adoption when she was just a few days old because she had down syndrome. Subsequently, Alba was passed over by 20 families simply because she was born a little bit different than other children. Luca Trapanese, a single man living in Italy, heard about Alba and felt compelled to pursue adoption. Although Italy’s laws about adoption are strict, especially when it comes to single parents, Luca knew he had to be Alba’s dad. Because of the multiple families that had passed Alba over combined with the fact that she had down syndrome, Luca’s application was accepted. When Alba was just 30 days old, Luca became her father.

 

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A post shared by Luca Trapanese (@trapaluca) on

Well, Alba is nearly three years old now, and life with this tiny family has been nothing short of incredible. Luca found the role of a lifetime in fatherhood. “I am made to be a father!” Luca told The Dad, “I really like to dedicate myself to Alba and her life. I feel very happy”. The pair loves spending time together, and especially enjoy dancing and singing (although Luca admits, Alba is the real star).

The duo have had so many successes, and reached so many goals side-by-side. Luca recalls, “Surely the most exciting moment was both when Alba called me ‘Dad’ and when she walked for the first time meeting me.” For any child, this is an enormous milestone – but for children with down syndrome, these markers of growth and achievement are often even more special.

 

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A post shared by Luca Trapanese (@trapaluca) on

To an outsider, it’s clear that Alba is not like other children. Luca explains, “My greatest struggle is to make others understand that Alba is above all a person, and needs to be considered for all her needs. We must fight against mental barriers and against exclusion. I hope Alba will meet people who value her talents and who don’t consider her just a person with a handicap.” Any parent of a child with a disability knows this to be true – your child is incredible. They are capable, strong, and faced with so much more adversity than their non-disabled peers.

 

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A post shared by Luca Trapanese (@trapaluca) on

Luca even wrote a book, “Vi Stupiremo Con Difetti Speciali”, or “We Will Amaze You With Special Flaws”, a book that talks about disability and diversity. The book follows three children who turn their disabilities into gifts, which is a mentality he tries to instill in Alba every single day.

To potential adoptive fathers, Luca imparts, “Adoption is the most rewarding gesture that can be done. One must be aware and make this choice with conscience and determination, without ever going back. Being a father is a vocation”. A vocation that, in our humble opinion, Luca is absolutely nailing.

For more updates and to see more of Luca and Alba’s journey, follow them on Instagram.

ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt Tells Expectant Dads to ‘Root For a Girl’

By Mike Julianelle
Scott Van Pelt Talks About His Daughter
(Twitter/StanfordSteve82)

You’d probably expect a guy who works at ESPN to be a bit of a man’s man. As such, you’d probably expect such a guy, when he became a father, to want to have a son. Someone to whom he could pass down his interest in and passion for sports.

Leaving aside the obvious fact that, hey, guess what, girls can love and play sports too! the stereotype is that guys want sons and that the prospect of having a girl makes them nervous. And in the case of well-known SportsCenter anchor Scott Van Pelt, you’d be right. Sort of.

Van Pelt, the solo host of ESPN’s midnight edition of SportsCenter, closes his shows with a segment called “One Big Thing,” and in the past, he’s used it to discuss his dad’s passing. On a recent edition, he celebrated his daughter’s birth.

On May 9th, to mark his daughter’s birthday, he discussed his initial hopes of having a son – he’s since had two – and his reaction to the news that his first child would be a feminine child.

“‘Do you see it?’ the technician asked as I sat with my wife at the ultrasound. We’d been convinced our first child was a boy – how she was carrying the baby, wives’ tales, what have you. So when I hear “do you see it?” well, I’m looking for it, right? All I see is a blob and she says “it’s a girl!” I was like “it’s a what?”

A girl, huh? I dropped my wife back at school where she was teaching at the time, went right to my office at home and Googled ‘how to raise a girl’. I suppose had I convinced myself that had it been a boy, I would have taught him how to throw a four-seam fastball, handed him a beer and said: “that’s about it son, you’ll figure out the rest.”

The anchor went on to describe how his daughter had changed his life, and how quickly it stopped mattering that she wasn’t a boy. He discussed his love for his now 6-year-old, and before closing the segment, he had a message for other dads like him, who might be wishing for a boy.

“To any man out there who’s about to become a dad for the first time. Maybe you grew up in sports, like me. Maybe you’re thinking you want a boy. And I get it, I do. That was me. And my sons are a joy to me. But let me tell you a secret, fellas.

Root for them to tell you it’s a girl. There’s no greater love than you’ll ever know and nothing that will change your world view more than holding a little girl and imagining the world through her eyes – wanting to be, for her, the very best version of yourself in the hopes that you might be worthy of the way she looks at you. Being worth being adored by her.”

Watch the entire video: