John Boyega, 34, welcomes first child with 48-year-old wife Lashontae Heckard

Nigerian-British actor John Boyega and his wife, American actress Lashontae "Tae" Heckard, have welcomed their first child together.

Boyega shared the news on Instagram with a video of himself cradling the baby, alongside photos from the pregnancy. He said the child has been with them "for some time" and thanked fans for their well wishes. "Back to feeding this big baby!" he wrote.

He also asked fans to send good wishes to his sister, who he said is about to give birth.

Heckard replied in the comments with "Love and blessings to my Blessing." Fast and Furious star Tyrese was among those who congratulated the couple. She has also updated her Instagram bio to "Tae Boyega," according to reports.

Boyega is 34. Heckard has been widely reported to be 48, though she has not confirmed her age publicly.

Heckard is known for her roles in ATL and The Game. She also has a son from a previous relationship, which makes the new baby her second child and Boyega's first.

Boyega, whose parents are both Nigerian, has often spoken about his pride in his heritage. The baby's arrival follows another surprise. In an interview with The Guardian, he revealed that he and Heckard have been married for almost two years. He had never publicly acknowledged the relationship before then.

He said they had a small ceremony, but would love a bigger celebration later, joking that by then "we'll have to shut Nigeria down." 

He gave the interview to promote the documentary Damilola: The Untold Story. At the time, he said the couple were expecting. By the time he posted on Instagram, the baby had already arrived.