Lily Collins and Husband Charlie McDowell Welcome 1st Baby

Lily Collins and Charlie McDowell are officially parents! The couple surprised fans on Friday, January 31, by announcing the arrival of their first baby via surrogate.

“Welcome to the center of our world Tove Jane McDowell,” Collins, 35, wrote via Instagram on Friday, sharing a photo of the little one in a bassinet. “Words will never express our endless gratitude for our incredible surrogate and everyone who helped us along the way. We love you to the moon and back again …”

Prior to her daughter’s birth, the Emily in Paris star was open about how her desire to start a family helped her overcome her eating disorder and get help.

“Everyone has a different form of recovery. I never had an ‘aha’ moment,” Collins exclusively told Us Weekly in July 2017. “My reason to finally start talking about [my eating disorder] was the moment I realized I wanted a family. I wanted kids. I didn’t want this to be something I bring into that.”

The U.K. native and McDowell, son of actress Mary Steenburgen and stepson of actor Ted Danson, met on the set of his film Gilded Rage in 2019. Sparks quickly flew between the couple and the twosome made their relationship Instagram official in August 2019.

“Always got your back…,” Collins captioned a series of pictures of her and the director in Paris.

In September 2020, the To the Bone star took to Instagram to announce that she and McDowell were officially engaged.

“I’ve been waiting my lifetime for you and I can’t wait to spend our lifetime together,” Collins wrote alongside a kissing photo of the couple.

The award-winning actress confessed in an interview on Live With Kelly and Ryan in October 2020 that she knew that the Los Angeles native was The One right away.

“I was very surprised as to when and where it would happen, but it was one of those situations where I knew the second that I met him that I wanted to be his wife one day,” Collins shared at the time.

She went on to explain more details about how the proposal went down.

“It was all very much pre-planned,” Collins told Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest. “He did a self-timer video, which we were then able to then later get screen grabs. But he set the whole thing up without me knowing, obviously. … I was very, very surprised by it, but it’s exactly what I would’ve wanted, and he knew me so well.”

Nearly one year after their engagement, the duo tied the knot in September 2021.

“I’ve never want to be someone’s someone more than I do yours, and now I get to be your wife. On September, 4 2021 we officially became each other’s forever. I love you beyond @charliemcdowell,” Collins wrote alongside a photo of the wedding via Instagram.

McDowell shared an equally sweet message via his own account: “I married the most generous, thoughtful, and beautiful person I’ve ever known. I love you @lilyjcollins.”