Brazilian football star Hulk, real name Givanildo Vieira de Sousa, has welcomed a baby with his wife Camila…who is the niece of his ex-wife.
You know what they say, sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction.
Hulk, 35, and American-Brazilian model Camila Angelo, 32, named their new daughter Zaya after she was born at a hospital in Miami – where the couple owns a luxury apartment – on Monday, April 18.
The footballer was given permission by his club Atletico Mineiro to miss Sunday’s match against Coritiba so that he could be present at the birth.
The striker, who has 3.8million followers on Instagram, promised to ‘love and protect’ his new daughter, who he called his ‘princess’ in a moving message about becoming a father again.
Givanildo is also father to sons Ian, 13, Tiago, 11, as well as daughter Alice, eight, with his ex-wife Iran Angelo, who is the aunt of Camila.
Baby Zaya was born at 2:22pm, in Miami, weighing 8stone 9oz, and measuring 21 inches at birth, according to a message the star shared on his Instagram story.
Sharing a series of photographs of the newborn, the star wrote the Portuguese caption: ‘Under the blessing of God Almighty Father and Our Lady, our little Zaya was born.
‘Zaya means “enlightened” “luck” “flower that blooms” and she really comes to bring light and illuminate our lives more and more. Come bloom our home, my love, we’ve long dreamed of your arrival.
‘Happy to be able to live the grace of God’s promises. Thank God for my family, which I will honour and love forever.’
He continued: ‘You are an answer to our prayers, daughter, you came to make our lives even more beautiful. You are our blessing. Welcome my princess, I will love you and protect you forever. Hulk/Your father.’
Givanildo announced the pregnancy in September with a post on his Instagram account, sharing images of the ultrasound alongside a Portuguese caption.
Translated into English, the caption read: ‘Today with a heart full of gratitude to GOD, I come to share with you that for the fourth time I am being blessed with another child. My heart overflows with so much happiness and I can only say thank you GOD.
‘We are already looking forward to receiving you, child, we love you unconditionally. Come full of health my baby’.
Camila also shared her happiness on social media, posting an adorable photograph of herself cuddling the newborn moments after the birth and simply writing: ‘Welcome Zaya’.
Hulk and Camila married in September 2020 following his split from the mother of his two sons and daughter, Iran, who finalised their divorce in July 2019.
Last October, Iran accused her niece of ‘cutting her flesh like a knife’, shortly before revealing she was expecting.
According to the , at the time of the split, a spokesman for the footballer said that the star had ‘never’ had a relationship with Camila while he was still married to Iran.
The statement read: ‘Hulk called the parents and the brother of Camila and told them the truth. It was Hulk himself who made the information public because he had nothing to hide. His position is transparency and he wants to avoid lies and malicious comments.’
Commenting on the accusations, Hulk reportedly said: ‘I am a man. I was not happy in my marriage. I had countless reasons. … I don’t think I’m an ugly person, and I’m young. Camila is young and extremely beautiful. We ended up getting involved. We were single.’
Camila penned a message to her aunt, in which she wrote, according to : ‘I really want you to know things that maybe everyone will talk about differently, mere speculation, but I don’t really judge them because outsiders know absolutely nothing and most of the time just want the situation to be worse.
‘It’s been very hard to face all this, but I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t true. I never imagined it could happen, but we don’t rule our heart; no one is immune or exempt from it. Live the greatest of feelings.
‘I’m sorry for everything. If I could choose, we wouldn’t be going through this, but life doesn’t spin the way we imagine it to.’
