The Walking Dead star Tom Payne is officially a dad of three after he and his wife Jennifer Akerman welcomed not one, but two babies. The couple, who tied the knot in 2020, announced in a statement to PEOPLE that they welcomed twins earlier this month, something they said was “entirely unexpected.” The little ones join the couple’s oldest, son Harrison, whom they welcomed in January 2022.
“We are overjoyed to share the news that on April 1st, 2024, we welcomed twins into our family! An entirely unexpected and wonderful surprise,” the couple shared. “”Harrison is over the moon to have not one but two new siblings. Jennifer and I have joked that he had something to do with this because there’s nothing he likes more than a house full of people.”
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The family’s newest additions mark the latest milestone for Payne and Akerman, who have been a couple since 2013. After becoming engaged in 2013, the Prodigal Son alum and Akerman tied the knot in December 2020 after their initial plans to marry in April of that year were thwarted by the COVID-19 pandemic. They went on to renew their vows in a romantic ceremony at The Foundry in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens, New York in November 2022, with Lou Diamond Philips officiating the ceremony. Akerman’s sister, Malin Åkerman, Tyson Ritter and his actress wife Elena Satine, Bellamy Young, Jamie Chung, Jimmy Akingbola, and Henry Conway were among those in attendance.
The vow renewal ceremony came just a few months after the couple welcomed little Harrison in January 2022, Payne sharing the news at the time by writing, “I can’t believe you’re here. We love you immeasurably and will always be there for you. The next big life adventure starts here!”
Now that they are pulling triple parenting duty, the couple is planning to share the experience with fans. When announcing the birth of their twins, Payne and Akerman also announced that they are launching a new podcast, titled California Dreamin’, next month. They told PEOPLE, “We’re excited to share our journey (from the moment we found out we were having twins, to their unique birth and beyond) in our new podcast California Dreamin’. We’ll be talking about our life in LA and how we now juggle our careers with three kids!”
