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Bradley Cooper Says He Didn't Know If He Loved His Daughter For "The First 8 Months"

Bradley Cooper opens up about fatherhood: "I don’t even know if I really love the kid,” he said.

By Nicole Dominique1 min read
Getty/EmmaMcIntyre

Maybe Bradley Cooper was a little too honest in his interview.

Bradley Cooper had his daughter, Lea, with his supermodel ex, Irina Shayk, in March 2017.

However, he didn't immediately feel bonded to her. On Monday, the Maestro star revealed on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast that he wasn't even sure he loved his child for "the first eight months." Could you imagine if his daughter heard that admission years later?! Maybe some things should be kept for our close friends and family.

“The first eight months – I don’t even know if I really love the kid,” he said. “It’s dope. It’s cool. I’m watching this thing morph.” Okay, strange that he called her "a thing," but I'm sure he didn't mean it like that. Cooper insists that he would absolutely take a bullet for Lea, who is now six. Sounds like he truly does love her!

And, in his defense, men typically start to bond with their babies when they start responding and playing.

“That’s my experience,” the actor added. “Fascinated by it. Loved taking care of it. But would I die if someone came in with a gun?”

He said, “And then all of a sudden, it’s like no question.”

The actor's focus is to be the best version of himself “to do the least amount of damage that [he] could do to [his] daughter.”

“I’m not sure I’d be alive if I wasn’t a dad. I just needed someone to say, like, ‘We’re gonna drop this massive anchor.'” Cooper continued, “Because this is gonna dictate everything you do from now on. Your DNA is going to tell you that there’s something more important than you.”

"i feel like he didn’t HAVE to tell the world this lmfao," commented @moneemorgan on X (formerly Twitter). Many people shared the same thoughts.

"i get what he’s saying but why would he say this?" asked @krasinskifilm.

"These are the thoughts that stay with the therapist," said @HumansPersonOh.

In December 2023, Shayk announced how proud she was of her ex and Lea, who appeared in the Netflix drama Maestro. "Congrats @maestrofilm," Shayk wrote on a poster for the film, featuring Lea dancing with actress Carey Mulligan. Cooper is seen laughing on the grass. "So proud Daddy and Lea 💕."

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