‘Orange Is the New Black’ Star Welcomes First Child

Congratulations are in order for Samira Wiley and Lauren Morelli. The couple made the surprise announcement that they welcomed their first child together four weeks ago. Wiley, who portrayed Poussey in Orange Is the New Black and now portrays Moira in Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, and her wife shared the exciting news in a Mother’s Day post alongside the first public photo of their baby girl, whom they named George Elizabeth.

Wiley shared the news while wishing a “happy 1st Mother’s Day” to her “beautiful wife.” Sharing an adorable image of their bundle of joy grasping onto their fingers, the actress went on to reveal that Morelli gave birth to their “gorgeous” first child together four weeks ago on April 11 “after laboring for almost 3 days.” In a direct message to her daughter, Wiley added, “welcome to the world, babygirl. We love you and we thank you for giving us the best 1st Mother’s Day two ladies could ask for.”

Morelli also shared the news to her own account alongside the same sweet image of little George. The proud new mom wrote, “4 weeks ago today, our daughter came into the world and changed everything.” She said she and her wife “are so happy, so grateful, and so tired,” going on to also share their daughter’s name and birth date. The couple had not previously revealed they were expecting, and news of the birth was celebrated by many of Wiley’s former OITNB co-stars, including Natasha Lyonne, who reacted with a series of emojis including chicks and the heart eyes face. Jackie Cruz chimed in with, “I’m so happy for you guys,” and Yael Stone commented, “So so so so so much love,” adding on Morelli’s post, “Oohhhh yes!” Madeline Brewer, who both starred alongside Wiley in OITNB and currently stars alongside her in The Handmaid’s Tale, also celebrated the announcement, commenting, “Oh my god oh my god oh my god she’s here.”

The proud new parents tied the knot in Palm Springs, California, in March 2017. They chose that location for the ceremony as it held importance to them, as it was where Morelli, an OITNB writer, popped the question the previous October. Speaking with Entertainment Tonight in 2018, Wiley revealed that she and her wife had babies on the mind. Asked if they were thinking about starting a family, the actress said, “yeah, we think about that,” adding, “we are so happy, so in love.”