Tom Daley and Husband Dustin Lance Black Welcome New-Born Son
April 6, 2023Olympian Tom Daley and his husband Dustin Lance Black have shared news welcoming a new baby into their family. The couple made the surprise announcement via The Times, after previously choosing not to publicly disclose that they were expecting a child.
The 28-year-old diver and his partner were already fathers to a boy called Robert Ray, aged 5, who they welcomed via surrogacy in 2018. Robert was also the name of Daley’s father, who passed away in 2011. The Times announcement page revealed that the new-born baby is named Phoenix Rose.
After the birth of their first son, Daley explained their decision behind becoming parents through surrogacy, explaining that the process in the United States was well-regulated and less complicated than the surrogacy laws in the United Kingdom. According to reports from The Mirror, Daley and Lance-Black made a conscious decision to travel to the United States during this process.
“"We looked into it in the UK and in the US,” he revealed. “In the UK it's a lot more complicated because surrogates aren't as well protected legally, intended parents aren't protected legally, it's just not safe, there's a lot of hurdles to have to jump over. "In the US, everything is regulated in a way that keeps everyone safe and in the US the surrogacy process is a lot more streamlined."
The couple announced that they were expecting their first son via social media on Valentines Day, 2018, and have since posted regular updates on raising him. Talking to the Independent in 2021, Daley discussed how becoming a father has become his main priority in life.
“I used to define myself by diving and if I dived well that reflected on me as a person,” said Daley. “Now I’m first and foremost a father and a husband; diving obviously is extremely important to me, but I also have other important things in my life, mainly being my son.”