Diane Kruger Reveals Name of Her and Norman Reedus' Daughter 3 Years After She's Born
Diane Kruger finally revealed the name she and Norman Reedus gave their daughter, three years after she was born. The National Treasure star and The Walking Dead actor named her Nova Tennessee. Kruger wrote about Nova's name and her own in her upcoming children's book, A Name from the Sky.
"I had her late in life at 42, and [Norman] had a child when he was much younger," Kruger, 45, told PEOPLE when explaining the meaning behind Nova's name. "'Nova' in Latin means new beginning, and a nova star keeps changing and is reborn. And we love Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains; we do motorcycle trips there."
Nova's nicknames included "Noonoo" and "Neenee," Kruger revealed. She was surprised by "how much" she loved becoming a mother after Nova was born. "I wanted to be a mom and I was sure I was going to like it, but just the magnitude of wanting to be there every second, not missing a thing," she said.
It has also been "wonderful" for Kruger to "rediscover firsts" through Nova. There are things the Inglorious Basterds star has done thousands of times that Nova is doing for the first time. "Whether it's having ice cream for the first time or seeing snow for the first time there's just something so refreshing and simple about that life as mother and daughter that I've just found magnificent," Kruger said.
Kruger later said Nova was a "surprise" and she didn't think she was going to be a mother. However, Nova was born at the perfect time. "She came into my life when I was ready," Kruger told PEOPLE. "I'm grateful that happened for me and our family. She's changed my world and the way I look at everything."
In A Name in the Sky, which hits book stores on Oct. 25 and features illustrations by Christa Unzner, Kruger also wrote about discovering the meaning of her own name. She noted that Diane was an uncommon name in Germany when she grew up, so she would often get made fun of at school. After her mother read her a book about the Roman goddess Diana, she understood why her mom picked the name. "It truly changed my life and how I see myself today," Kruger told PEOPLE.
Kruger can now be seen in the new Roku series Swimming With Sharks, co-starring Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star Kiernan Shipka. Created by Kathleen Robertson, the series stars Kruger as a studio executive under pressure from her mentor (Donald Sutherland) while trying to have a child with her husband (Gerardo Celasco). Shipka plays an ambitious young assistant. The first season is available on the Roku Channel for free.