Actor LaKeith Stanfield described the moment his wife, Kasmere Trice Stanfield, gave birth as “the craziest, beautiful, powerful, amazing thing I’ve ever witnessed.” Speaking at the New York premiere of his film, he recounted how he held her leg and even captured parts of the moment on camera.
A Transformative Experience for LaKeith Stanfield
Stanfield said that during labor he simply wanted to “help and bear witness.” “And I feel like, coming out of this movie, we’re reminded how important women are, how important they are to the entirety of creation in the world,” he added. The couple married privately and had their first child together, though they are keeping the baby’s name and gender private.
He spoke of balancing the awe of witnessing birth with the real-time role of being supportive. “As a man, all you want to do is help and bear witness,” he said. He described the entire scene in the birthing suite as “amazing” and “beautiful.”
In earlier remarks, Stanfield reflected on how fatherhood changed him: “There’s life before being a parent, and then there’s life being a parent. It completely changes,” he said in a 2023 interview. He has two daughters from previous relationships and said he is deeply focused on their well-being: “I’m truly concerned about their wellbeing and that I want them to do well, to be well, to feel well in the world.”
His wife, meanwhile, remarked that she felt “honored” to have seen the father in him even before their baby was born. The couple emphasized their decision to protect their child’s privacy early on. “We decided early on we wanted to protect our baby as much as we can for as long as possible,” Kasmere said.
Stanfield said the experience has given him a new lens through which to approach both work and life. He noted that walking with his wife through her birth experience influenced his recent film choices, particularly projects that highlight women’s journeys. The actor and musician said he hopes to continue making choices that reflect the kind of family and legacy he wants for his children.