The Untold Truth Of Billie Lourd's Fiancé, Austen Rydell
Billie Lourd surprised the whole world on Sept. 24, 2020, by announcing she had welcomed her first child — a baby boy — with fiancé Austen Rydell. The Scream Queens star posted a sweet photo of her newborn's feet on Instagram with the caption: "Introducing: Kingston Fisher Lourd Rydell." The baby's name pays tribute to Lourd's mom, Carrie Fisher, who passed away in December 2016.
In the photo's comments, a number of Lourd's famous friends left congratulatory messages, including the actress' soon-to-be husband, who commented several red hearts to celebrate the arrival of their son. Lourd and Rydell got engaged in June 2020 "after rekindling their on-again, off-again romance in 2017," according to E! News. In his engagement announcement, Rydell wrote, "She said YES!! (Actually she said 'Duhhh') But I guess that's even better than yes?!?"
Keep scrolling to find out the truth about Lourd's fiancé and the father of her baby.
Billie Lourd and Austen Rydell started dating in 2016
While it's unclear how Billie Lourd and Austen Rydell met, People reports the couple began their romance in 2016. They reportedly dated for a little while before splitting up and reconciling a year later, several months after the actress and her Scream Queens co-star Taylor Lautner broke up.
According to the outlet, Lourd and Rydell were first seen together again in October 2017 "when they were spotted kissing outside a hotel in Palm Springs." The two then seemingly confirmed that they were back together when he joined her on a family trip to Norway to see the Northern Lights in December 2017, the one-year anniversary of Carrie Fisher's death. After their trip, the couple began publicizing their relationship on social media and even got a dog named Pony.
In the years that followed, Lourd and Rydell's relationship only appeared to get stronger, and they did lots of traveling together, visiting places like Japan, Disneyland, and more. Continue reading to find out what Rydell does for a living and how he too comes from a showbiz family.
Austen Rydell is an actor and producer
Billie Lourd's fiancé, Austen Rydell, is also an actor and producer, according to Elle. He appeared in the 2001 made-for-television biopic James Dean, as well as a 2006 episode of the Nickelodeon sitcom Unfabulous. As per his LinkedIn page, he started his acting career at the of age 12 and graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Theatre. These days, he's the President of Entertainment at Morning Moon Productions, an independent production and development company that he co-founded in 2018, per Elle. (The company produced Lourd's version of the song "American Girl" featuring The Moon Brothers.)
Rydell — who was born and raised in Los Angeles, Calif. — also "grew up in a family of actors and directors," according to Morning Moon's official website. His grandmother was actress Joanne Linville, who not only co-founded the Stella Adler Acting Conservatory, but also appeared as Freddie in 1976's A Star Is Born alongside Barbara Streisand. It's safe to say Lourd and Rydell's new bundle of joy has showbiz blood running through his veins. We'll see if he follows in his famous family's footsteps!