GOOD NEWS: Blue Bloods Star Vanessa Ray Welcomes Baby Boy in a Whirlwind of Joy with Husband Landon Beard
GOOD NEWS: Blue Bloods Star Vanessa Ray Welcomes Baby Boy in a Whirlwind of Joy with Husband Landon Beard
Vanessa Ray, best known for her role on Blue Bloods, is overjoyed to announce the arrival of her baby child, Isaac Ray Beard, adopted with husband Landon Beard. The couple’s decision to become parents was impulsive, motivated by a strong sense of family and love.
Ray credits her friend and co-star Bridget Moynahan for support during this life-changing decision, along with actor Peter Hermann, who shared insights into adoption. Their adoption process progressed quickly, from choosing a lawyer to meeting with a potential birth mother. Isaac arrived about a week before the end of an actor’s strike, bringing great joy to the family.
Preparation was rapid, with friends rallying to create a nursery in 24 hours. The couple chose the name Isaac years ago during a hike, inspired by its significance in biblical stories.
Despite the bustle, Ray considers the transition to fatherhood as smooth, with Isaac already exhibiting characteristics similar to his mother. The news delighted Blue Bloods colleagues, including Donnie Wahlberg, who quickly guessed the surprise during a FaceTime call. Isaac is already embraced as part of the Blue Bloods family.
Ray and Beard are now enjoying every moment with their baby, showering him with love and cherishing his early days.
Blue Bloods star Vanessa Ray, who plays Officer Eddie Janko, and real-life husband Landon Beard have adopted a baby boy—and it was working on the police drama that influenced her decision to start a family by adding son Isaac Ray Beard, who was born on Nov. 7.
“My husband and I weren’t totally sure if we were going to have kids, at what point in our life that made sense and all those things,” Ray told People, who says she was moved while filming. “I was at work one day, honestly I was about to do a family dinner and I just had this overwhelming sensation of family and what I love about our life and all of these things.”
So, the actress picked up the phone, crying, and told her husband, “I think we’re supposed to be parents” and ‘I think we’re supposed to adopt.'”
“Graciously, he really held our hand and walked us through everything that we would need to know about adoption,” Ray said. “It’s a lot of first dates almost. It almost feels like there’s a ton of heartbreak that comes along with it.”
The adoption process isn’t easy and Ray and Beard began the process of hiring an adoption attorney and filling out the reams of necessary paperwork. And unlike a lot of adoptions that can take years for the adoptive parents to be selected, Ray and her husband posted their request on an adoption website and in less than a week were matched with a potential birth mother, who gave birth three weeks later.
Landon Beard and Vanessa Ray
Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Netflix
Because it happened so quickly, Ray didn’t have the nursery ready, but she credits her friends with helping her pull together the necessities like a crib, bottles, a sterilizer and diapers.
“We had everything that we needed from our friends,” Ray told People. “We didn’t have to buy anything. We really didn’t right away, at least for the first three months.”
