Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins Celebrate the Arrival of Baby No. 5!
Thomas Rhett and his wife, Lauren Akins, are thrilled to announce the newest addition to their family—baby No. 5 has arrived!
“Welcome to the world, Brave 🩵💚🩵,” Akins shared in a post on Instagram made on Friday, February 27. “Oh my goodness, our hearts are just in a big ole puddle with this precious baby BOY 🩵 🦆🩵⚾️🩵🦌🩵🐟🩵.”
Akins revealed that their son arrived two weeks early and expressed her gratitude for Rhett’s unwavering support during the delivery.
“Brave Elijah Akins was born last week, weighing almost 10 pounds and nearly two weeks early—thank you, Jesus, for this big boy not waiting any longer to come into the world 😍,” the caption continued. “Thomas Rhett was my biggest champion during labor & delivery🤍 He helped bring him into the world (😭), and was the first to see him and *tearfully*, mixed with a bit of shock, announce, ‘It’s a BOY’ 🥰🩵.”
She wrapped up with, “We are so grateful that God chose us to have YOU, cutie pie 🥰🥰! Your four sisters are smitten, and we are completely over the moon in love with you, our big Brave boy! 🩵🌙🩵
Since tying the knot in October 2012, Rhett and Akins became first-time parents when they adopted Willa in May 2017. Akins later welcomed daughters Ada in August 2017, Lennon in February 2020, and Lillie in November 2021.
In August 2025, after nearly four years, the pair shared through Instagram that they were expecting their fifth child. In a charming video, Rhett performed his 2017 hit “Life Changes,” modifying the lyrics to highlight his journey into fatherhood.
“Well, I was just getting used to being a dad when a big surprise came along. Now Lauren is pregnant—five under 10! What can I say? Yeah, life changes,” Rhett sang, pausing briefly as Akins held up five fingers. “You wake up, and everything is different. Life changes.”
Akins then displayed a sonogram, chuckling as she glanced at Rhett.
“Here we go again!” the couple captioned the post. “We’ve got some really excited big sisters in our household. God is so good.”
Before the announcement, Rhett suggested he and Akins might be done expanding their family, expressing in his 2024 Us Weekly cover story that they were “both really happy with four.”
“With Lillie starting school, we’ve been giddy about having those eight hours on certain days to ourselves,” he shared with Us. “Still, it wouldn’t be surprising if we welcomed a fifth in a few years.”
Rhett reflected on parenthood, wishing he could advise his younger self to “cherish every moment” from the start.
“It’s natural to wish away the tough times. [Lauren] affectionately calls them the ‘wiping years’—tears, floors, butts, all of it. I’ve been a dad long enough to realize how quickly these moments pass,” he revealed. “One day, my kids’ worries will differ from chasing down broccoli. I’m learning to embrace each moment.”
With a bustling career and a large family to balance, Rhett aims to set a positive example for his children.
“No parent enjoys hearing, ‘Why do you have to leave?’ I’ve learned to reframe my response; instead of saying, ‘I know, I really don’t want to go,’ I remind them, ‘I don’t have to leave. I get to because I have the privilege to do what I love for my job,’” he explained to Us. “I want them to understand that it’s possible to pursue your passion as a career.”
