"Willa Gray acts like such a mom now," Rhett said. Your Ad Choices She'll comfort her. We haven’t picked a name yet, but we’ve got a few floating around and we’re trying to figure it out.”. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! "When she comes from school, her teachers ... the main thing they’re saying is how intuitive she is and how much she recognizes at a young age.". Their third child, Lennon, was born earlier this year. To start, the "Die a Happy Man" singer, 30, explained that Willa has already noticed that her family "looks a lot different" from others. "Willa Gray is one of the smartest that I've ever met," he said. We are all created by the same God.”, Rhett added that he’s not only praying for “a change in heart of those hearts who have been overcome by hatred and hardened,” he also yearns for “a deeper understanding for myself and awareness of the experience of mistreatment that those of another skin color go through.”, A post shared by Lauren Akins (@laur_akins) on May 21, 2020 at 5:58pm PDT, In a separate Instagram post, Akins — who has been married to Rhett since 2012 — said she’s “been nervous to post anything in the past and even now because of how some people believe that I as a white mother am undeserving or incapable of raising a black daughter.”. Thomas Rhett's daughter Willa is only 4, but she already knows her family isn't the same as other kids'. “I want to be her mother who raises her to know what it means to have brown skin and to be proud of it. My wife is just incredible through the entire birth. Getty Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins attend the 2019 American Music Awards. Thomas Rhett and his wife open about being parents and teaching their Black daughter to be proud of herself and her culture. Thanks for contacting us. Another one! READ NEXT: Who Daniel Thomas Broderick Left Out of His Will, Where Thomas Rhett, His Wife & Kids Call Home, Copyright © 2020 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. “I get scared when I think about my daughters and what kind of world they will be growing up in and how my JOB as a father is to show them how to lead with love in the face of hate.”, Rhett said he wants his daughters — Willa, 2-year-old Ada and 5-month-old Lennon — “to know their worth and value as not only women but human beings.”, “I have witnessed my black band and crew members on the road struggle at times with feeling safe because of the color of their skin. Sitemap This is unacceptable,” Rhett continued. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. In 2017, Rhett and Atkins gave People a look at their daughters’ bedrooms in their old home. CMT Celebrates Our Heroes: An Artists of the Year Special airs on Wednesday, June 3 at 8/7c on CMT, Paramount Network, Pop TV and TV Land. So we'll see what happens. 24,729, This story has been shared 21,350 times. 27,660, This story has been shared 24,729 times. starring: my bro in law (clearly we’re not having any fun at all), A post shared by Lauren Akins (@laur_akins) on Apr 3, 2020 at 7:44pm PDT, In one of her own Instagram posts, Atkins revealed that Rhett’s brother spent weeks quarantining at their home with her, Thomas, and the kids. Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins Are 'Standing Up' Against Racial Injustice for Their Black Daughter "I want to be her mother who raises her to know what it … Y’all pray for us as we switch from man on man defense to zone.”, A post shared by ThomasRhettAkins (@thomasrhettakins) on Mar 30, 2020 at 5:50am PDT. She can hold her standing up now. Rhett lives with his wife Laura Atkins, their three young children Willa Gray, Ada James, and Lennon, as well as their dog Kona and Cash. The country star shared how he and wife Lauren Akins are raising Willa to embrace her background in a recent interview with "Entertainment Tonight." Thomas Rhett and wife Lauren Akins spoke out Sunday in the wake of George Floyd's death, taking a stand against racism while addressing their own experiences as the parents of a black daughter. “As the father of a black daughter and also two white daughters- I have struggled with what to say today,” the country singer posted to Instagram. Powered by. ", He then joked that he and Akins "might need a year just to come up for air ... Maybe in a couple years we'll start trying again because my wife does want five kids. ", "We just try to preach to our kids to shine your light everywhere you go and realize that the world is cruel, but that doesn't mean that you have to be," he continued. "We just try to preach to our kids to shine your light everywhere you go and realize that the world is cruel, but that doesn't mean that you have to be," the country star said. The couple's oldest child is even trying to take on a mothering role for her youngest sister, Lennon, 7 months. That's something we want to educate her on as long as she's still in our household and even beyond that. Not too much pink – I’m not a pink girl.” For Willa’s room, she explained, “[It’s] the same way – I was adamant about not having a giant pink room for my girls. Ahead of the birth of their third child, Thomas Rhett reveals he and his family are moving to a new house! Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. She'll hold her in her lap. With the coronavirus pandemic and social distancing order ongoing, Rhett and his fellow artists will be performing from the comfort and safety of their own homes. I want to be her mother who doesn’t listen to the shaming of skin colors but instead listens to the Spirit of God who knitted every skin color together in their mother’s womb for His glory.”, A post shared by Lauren Akins (@laur_akins) on Dec 22, 2019 at 11:30pm PST, Akins added that she believes she’s being “disobedient to God” if she does not “speak up against injustice and fight for change.”. With the funny family video of him dancing, she wrote “how we feel about being quarantined with my brother in law for almost 3 weeks now. “We have navigated forms of racism directly and while there is mostly overwhelming support and love for our family, sometimes there is just the opposite. Watch TODAY All Day! Thomas Rhett and wife Lauren Akins spoke out Sunday in the wake of George Floyd’s death, taking a stand against racism while addressing their own experiences as the parents of a black daughter, 4-year-old Willa Gray. This story has been shared 32,350 times. Willa Gray and Ada are always touching Lauren’s stomach. ", "Adoption is very important to us and our family," he continued, "and there's a few people in our family who were also adopted, so it weighs pretty heavy on our hearts, so we would love to do that again.". Rhett and his wife, Lauren Akins, are already proud parents to 3-year-old Willa Gray and Ada James, 2, and have outgrown their current home, which is why they have to relocate before Akins gives birth in February. While Thomas Rhett grew up in Valdosta, Georgia, he and his family moved to and currently live in Nashville, Tennessee. 21,350, © 2020 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved Happy 30th birthday honey ✨ even in this quarantine I can’t believe I get to live this messy & dreamy (all at the same time) life with you. At 30 years old, you’re still my dream come true I love you , A post shared by Lauren Akins (@laur_akins) on Mar 30, 2020 at 9:07pm PDT. Thomas Rhett is among the country stars performing as part of CMT Celebrates Our Heroes: An Artists of the Year Special, airing on Wednesday, June 3. “I want her to be VERY sure that I am HER mother who stands up not only for her, but for every single person who shares her beautiful brown skin,” Atkins posted. The couple adopted Willa from Uganda in 2017, several months before welcoming their first biological daughter Ada, now 3. watching our kids meet Lennon for the first time was probably the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen in my whole life! Terms of Use In 2017, Thomas Rhett and his wife Lauren Akins adopted their daughter Willa Gray from Uganda before welcoming their first biological child, Ada. "We're still dealing with it just like everybody else, and we're still trying to ask the right questions and educate ourselves, as well.". how we feel about being quarantined with my brother in law for almost 3 weeks now. ", Asked about his wife's previous comments that she wants to both adopt again and have another biological child, Rhett said: "I feel like at this point I perfected the girl dad role, so if we had another girl, I would be thrilled. I would like a boy at some point, for sure. Because of that fear, it can be a lot easier to choose silence, but today I’m choosing to speak.”, Rhett, who adopted Willa from Uganda in 2017 with his wife, added that he has “no clue what it feels like to be profiled by authorities, treated negatively or have my life threatened because of the color of my skin.”, “When I witnessed the horrific murder of George and think about the mistreatment of other black men and women in America, I am heartbroken and angry,” Rhett stated. She said, that Ada’s room was “a sweet nursery. “I don’t believe in hate. Now we’ll have somewhere for everybody to sleep, which is nice, and we’re just pumped. Your California Privacy Rights The Lord is so good and I’m so grateful for my beautiful growing family!! “I believe that shaming comes from people who choose to see only my white skin and her brown skin and refuse to see our hearts and love for each other,” she wrote. It's "something that we talk about really openly," he said. Thomas Rhett’s wife, Lauren Akins, gave birth to the couple’s third child on Monday, February 10. It was such a joy to watch this little angel be brought into the world. ", Addressing recent protests over racial injustice and police brutality, he said that he finds it "hard to watch the news. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Your California Privacy Rights She seems to enjoy it so far, so I think it’s working.” While they don’t live in that house anymore, it’s likely that Laura stuck to her interior design taste while designing her children’s new bedrooms. He added that he and Akins, 30, are teaching Willa to "embrace" who she is. What happened to George was pure hate. I believe in love. While Thomas Rhett grew up in Valdosta, Georgia, he and his family moved to and currently live in Nashville, Tennessee. Thomas Rhett, who is quarantined at home with his family, is performing for "CMT Celebrates Our Heroes: An Artists of the Year Special," airing on June 3. Who Daniel Thomas Broderick Left Out of His Will. Maura Hohman is a weekend editor for TODAY.com. Here is what they had to say. "I think me and Lauren’s main thing we want to get across is how proud we are and that we want her to grow up proud of herself and of her family ... and to embrace who you are and to embrace your uniqueness and embrace your culture, as well. Would you like to receive desktop browser notifications about breaking news and other major stories? Willa Gray Akins, Thomas Rhett, Ada James Akins and Lauren Akins attend the 53rd CMA Awards at the Music City Center on Nov. 13, 2019, in Nashville. 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