Norman Reedus and Diane Kruger's Daughter: Everything They’ve Said About Nova
Actors Norman Reedus and Diane Kruger welcomed their daughter Nova Tennessee in 2018
Norman Reedus and Diane Kruger's daughter, Nova Tennessee, has influenced her parents' careers.
The couple met in 2015 on the set of Sky and by March 2017, the actors' relationship was confirmed. The following year, in November, Reedus and Kruger welcomed their first child together, making the actress a mom for the first time. Reedus also shares a son with his ex Helena Christensen.
When Kruger revealed her daughter's name via her children's book in May 2022, she also shared about the joy of caring for Nova.
"[She] was a surprise. I thought it wasn't going to happen, and she came into my life when I was ready," Kruger said. "I'm grateful that happened for me and our family. She's changed my world and the way I look at everything."
Related: Diane Kruger and Norman Reedus' Relationship Timeline
From the origin of her name to how she's influenced her parents' careers, here's everything Norman Reedus and Diane Kruger have said about their daughter, Nova Tennessee.
Her parents announced her birth in November 2018
In November 2018, PEOPLE confirmed that Reedus and Kruger had welcomed their first baby together. Kruger revealed their newborn was a girl the following month and called motherhood a "very rewarding experience."
"She's very little, but I'm tired," the SAG Award winner told Extra. "I feel like a superhero right now."
In May 2022, upon the release of her children's book A Name From the Sky, Kruger shared that the couple had named their daughter Nova Tennessee.
Nova has an older brother
Nova has an older brother, Mingus Lucien Reedus, from her dad's relationship with Christensen.
In 2021, the Danish model gave a shout-out to her ex on Instagram. "Happy Father's Day to the father of our son (and his lil sis)," she wrote of Reedus. "We raised a good one."
Related: All About Norman Reedus' Son Mingus Lucien Reedus
In 2019, Kruger said that Mingus had taken to his role as an older brother despite the sibling's age gap. "He's great!" she told PEOPLE. "Nineteen years is a big gap so he's really stepping up to be this protective big brother."
Her name has a special meaning
Nearly three years after her birth, Kruger revealed their daughter's name: Nova Tennessee. She also shared that the moniker has special meaning for her and Reedus.
While promoting her children's book, A Name From the Sky, Kruger recalled her own childhood in Germany, where "Diane" was an uncommon name.
"I remember coming home crying because kids were making fun of my name," she said. But Kruger's mom read her a book about the Roman goddess Diana, after whom she was named. "It truly changed my life and how I see myself today," the actress added.
The Cannes Film Festival award winner shared that she and Reedus chose to name their daughter Nova because it means "new beginning" and "a nova star keeps changing and is reborn." As for Nova's middle name? "We love Tennessee and the Smoky Mountains," Kruger said. "We do motorcycle trips there."
She was a welcome surprise
Reedus was already a dad when the couple started their relationship and Kruger hadn't planned on having children.
"I didn't think I wanted children for a long time," she told PORTER Edit in 2019. "I was too selfish. But by the time I got to about 35, I thought, yes, I probably do want one. But then you have to wait for the right person to come along."
The actress went on to say she was glad she had Nova when she did, especially because she found such a strong partner.
“He teaches me a lot [about parenting], because he’s done it before,” Kruger said of Reedus. “There’s definitely something to be said for being with someone who is doing it for the second time.”
She loves Paris
In 2019, Kruger celebrated her 43rd birthday in Paris with Reedus and their daughter.
At the time, Nova was only 8 months old, but according to Kruger, she had already been to the City of Light once before. In a later appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan, Kruger shared that Nova "loves Paris."
The Troy actress also described their trip: “We had so much fun. I’m filming right now in Europe and we were filming in Paris, which was so fun. And Norman, my boyfriend, came to visit, and you know, we just had a baby, so the three of us were in Paris.”
Her mom has talked about her personality
Six months after giving birth, Kruger spoke with PEOPLE about her daughter's emerging personality. "She's not really girlie, she's kind of a dude," the new mom shared at the Tribeca Film Festival.
In 2022, Kruger shared more about Nova's interests. The proud mom told PEOPLE that her daughter was "obsessed with Mulan."
"She's taking martial arts to be like Mulan," Kruger added.
She influenced Kruger's career
After welcoming Nova, Kruger's career and priorities shifted.
"Everything changed with motherhood," Kruger told Women's Health in 2021. "The way I look at work is different. I love to work; in fact, I cherish it more today than I did before, but at the same time, you look at everything from a different angle."
Kruger stayed home with Nova for six months before returning to work. "I was ready to get back to me, and to get out of the house," she said after her maternity leave. At the same time, it was nerve-wracking: Kruger shared that she had "extreme separation anxiety" when she began working again. "I was just worried, is she going to forget about me?" she recalled to Extra in 2022.
When Reedus was busy filming The Walking Dead in Atlanta, Kruger often brought Nova with her to work. "That's probably a reason I work less," she said in her Women's Health interview. "Things just change when you have a family. You want to keep everyone together."
Her parents are engaged
In August 2021, PEOPLE confirmed that Reedus and Kruger were engaged. The following month, Kruger debuted her engagement ring on the Met Gala red carpet.
This will be the first marriage for Reedus and the second for Kruger, who was previously married to French actor and director Guillaume Canet from 2001 to 2006.
In 2022, the actress told The Telegraph that she and Reedus hadn't started planning their wedding just yet.
"Who knows when we're going to get married," Kruger said. "But just the symbolism of that ring. It's like a family heirloom, you know, because it's going to be [Nova's] one day. I still look at my ring and think, 'Wow, this is crazy!' "
She is a daddy's girl
Nova loves spending time with her dad. On occasion, Kruger gives fans a look at their father-daughter bond by posting sweet photos of the pair on Instagram.
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.