Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song are paying tribute to the Home Alone actor’s late sister with the name of their first child — daughter Dakota Song Culkin — born Monday, April 5 at 1:10 p.m. at 6 lbs. 14 oz., as first reported by Esquire. Culkin’s sister Dakota passed away in 2008 at the age of 29 after being accidentally hit by a car on Dec. 8 in Los Angeles, according to ABC News.
Culkin and Song kept their pregnancy news entirely private before announcing the birth of their firstborn. The new parents released only a two-word statement to Esquire following the birth of baby Dakota — “We’re overjoyed” The new parents met on the set of Changeland in Thailand, a film directed by Culkin’s friend and frequent collaborator Seth Green, and were first linked romantically in July 2017 when they were spotted out and about together.
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While the two have kept their relationship largely private, The Social Network alum didn’t hold back when sharing her feelings about Culkin on social media in honor of his 40th birthday. “I could sit here and write endlessly about how wonderful, kind, loving, genuine, loyal, honest, brilliant and hilarious you are, and how grateful I am that I get to share and do this life thing with you,” she wrote on Instagram in August 2020. “But firstly, that would take me an eternity and secondly, you won’t even see this because you don’t ever use instagram. Hahaha.” Calling him the “unicorn that I never thought could exist,” Song coined herself the “luckiest person in the world” because she was loved by Culkin.
At the time, fans freaked out over how adorable the couple is together. “I cannot get over London Tipton and Kevin McCallister dating. You guys are really cute,” one person commented in reference to the actors’ iconic characters. “This makes me so happy,” another person wrote, as a third follower chimed in, “I absolutely adore you two together!!!!”
The couple has been thinking about starting a family for a while, with Culkin joking in a March 2020 Esquire profile that he and Song were thinking about having a baby — or at least giving things a trial run. “We practice a lot,” he said at the time. “We’re figuring it out, making the timing work. Because nothing turns you on more than when your lady comes into the room and says, ‘Honey, I’m ovulating.’”