All About Keri Russell’s 3 Kids, River, Willa and Sam
All About Keri Russell’s 3 Kids, River, Willa and Sam
Emy LaCroix, Kelly AllenWed, October 7, 2026 at 6:35 PM UTC
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Keri Russell and Willa Lou Deary in 2026Credit: Aurore Marechal/Getty -
Keri Russell is a mom to two sons and a daughter
She shares River and Willa with ex-husband Shane Deary and Sam with partner Matthew Rhys
In October, the actress and daughter Willa made a rare public appearance together at Paris Fashion Week
Keri Russell is a proud mom of three.
The actress shares her two older children — son River, born in 2007, and daughter Willa, born in 2012 — with her ex-husband, Shane Deary. She welcomed her younger son, Sam, in 2016 with her partner Matthew Rhys.
Russell has largely raised her children out of the public eye. However, The Diplomat star enjoyed a rare mother-daughter outing with Willa on Oct. 6 at Paris Fashion Week, where the lookalike pair flashed soft smiles and wore contrasting looks.
Here’s everything to know about Keri Russell’s three kids, River, Willa and Sam.
River, 19
Keri Russell during the 6th Annual Tribeca Film FestivalCredit: Lawrence Lucier/FilmMagic
Russell welcomed her first child, River, with her then-husband, Deary, on June 9, 2007.
The actress revealed later that she was in labor for 38 hours straight. “It was intense,” she told PEOPLE in 2007. “It was a long time. But it all worked out okay.”
Russell knew she would never be the same from the second River was born. “You instantly become less selfish,” she told Parade in February 2013. “You can’t be the biggest person in the world anymore — they are. It really grounds you.”
Despite her busy working schedule, Russell made sure to be a present parent for her son.
“I get to work really hard for three months, but then I get to be home for four months where I get to put him to bed every night,” she told PEOPLE in 2012. “I like getting to be in the adult world a little bit and then getting to be in the mom world and cook dinners. And, for me, that balance is what makes it nice.”
As for making dinner for her family, she told Shape in March 2020 that she “used to cook a lot more when [she] had just one kid.” But, even after River’s siblings entered the picture, Russell occasionally cooked up a big family meal.
“I usually do a roast chicken and vegetables, and maybe a guilty pleasure like Yorkshire pudding,” she said.
Willa Lou, 13
Keri Russell and Willa Lou Deary during Paris Fashion Week in 2026Credit: Gilbert Flores/WWD via Getty
Russell and Deary welcomed their daughter Willa on Dec. 27, 2012, in New York City. “Everyone’s happy and healthy,” her rep confirmed to PEOPLE at the time.
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When Russell started dating Rhys, he became a stepdad to River and Willa and had to learn how to parent quickly. In May 2018, he told Esquire about how he measures a good day with the kids.
“If you get all three fed, vegetables eaten, someone’s asked me a question at dinner, bath, Harry Potter’s read, they’re in bed, and all three haven’t cried, it’s an enormous success,” he said.
In February 2023, the actress shared some insight into her funny mother-daughter relationship with Willa when she appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
“My daughter about a year ago — she’s kind of mature for her age, and she was bored one day — I said, ‘Hey, Willa, I did this show about this college girl, and you might think it’s cool. It’s really sweet,’ ” Russell recalled of showing Willa her show Felicity for the first time.
She continued, “After about 15 minutes, she turned it off and she went, ‘Ugh, mom, it’s so cringy.’ ... Why would you think I’d want to watch your college experience making out with weird boys and stuff?’ ”
In October, Russell brought Willa to the Louis Vuitton Womenswear Spring/Summer 2027 show at Paris Fashion Week. For their rare public outing, Russell wore a black-and-white ensemble, while Willa donned an all-pink look.
Sam, 10
Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell attend Metropolitan Opera Opening Night Gala Premiere of ‘Tristan und Isolde’ on Sept. 26, 2016 in New York CityCredit: Sylvain Gaboury/Patrick McMullan/Getty
PEOPLEconfirmed that TheAmericans costars Russell and Rhys were dating in 2014. They welcomed their son, Sam, in May 2016.
Two months after he was born, Russell shared the sex and name of her third child on Today. “We had a boy,” she shared. “[His name is] Sam. He’s so good. He’s big and fat and nice.”
Russell added that Rhys was doing “so well” with being a dad for the first time. Luckily, the actor had his partner’s experience and “reassuring hand” to help him along the journey.
Rhys also quickly took to changing diapers and proudly shared on Live with Kelly and Ryan in March 2017 that Russell’s older children “claimed [Sam] as their own” immediately.
Because he grew up in Wales, Rhys has said it is important to share his culture with his son. Rhys and Russell even took Sam to Wales for two weeks in 2017 to give him a chance to meet his extended family in Cardiff, according to an interview with The Irish News.
“I only speak to him in Welsh, and he understands everything I say,” Rhys told Deadline in May 2021. “He’ll always answer me in English. He’ll pepper a few words sometimes in Welsh, I think just to please me. But he’s very clear about his Dada’s language and then there’s Mama’s language.”
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
