Twins Turn 1: Gabourey Sidibe Shares First Year Milestones

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Gabourey Sidibe is celebrating double the milestones.

In the upcoming celebration of their twins Cooper and Maya’s first birthdays, the star of “Give Me Back My Daughter” at 41 years old, together with her husband Brandon Frankel, reflect on their experiences as parents of two.

Gabourey shared in an exclusive chat with TopMob News that they resemble miniature cartoons. They began to walk and stumble about, and they’re quite amusing. It seems like they’re learning words, and they’re incredibly intelligent. I can’t help but be captivated by them. In truth, I am.

In my role as a lifestyle expert, I must say that the twins are now leaping past the initial stages of babbling. They’re no longer confined to baby steps; they’re exploring and expanding their world at an incredible pace.

Previously, they had the ability to walk, as the radiant star clarified, but now they’re extremely assured about it. My daughter is darting back and forth now. It’s truly heartwarming, she added. (For more insights from Gabourey, catch her interview on TopMob News tonight, April 3, at 11 p.m.)

At the same time, Maya has started waving and sending kisses, as it turns out, Cooper is quite fond of music. As Gabourey shared, “My son sings! It’s absolutely amazing – a baby so young, practicing vocal exercises.

As they both relish every significant moment with their young ones, the twins are equally enjoying a self-celebration of their own. Gabourey explained that they often slap hands with each other in front of mirrors, and she finds them incredibly amusing. “They’re such goofs,” she added warmly.

She noted that her son acts in a wild, unpredictable manner, while her daughter is more orderly. The daughter first establishes her footing before starting to walk, whereas the son leaps about without much rhyme or reason.

But while the twin bond is strong, it took a moment to get there.

Gabourey shared that the others seemed oblivious when another baby was present, but her daughter picked up on her son at just two months old. At three months, they would grasp hands whenever near each other, and thus their bond formed quite swiftly, which is an incredibly heartwarming sight to behold.

This year, as she celebrates the achievements of her children, she also achieved a personal milestone in her career – making her acting debut as a mother for the first time in real life. She was eager to embrace this new role in the show “Give Me Back My Daughter“.

She humorously told TopMob, “Although I’ve only been a mom for a year, you could say I’m an expert! The role of being a mother aligns well with me because it involves nurturing and providing for my child, which mirrors my upbringing.

She went on to say, “Being brought up by just my mom made such an impact on me. So, I wanted to pay tribute to her journey in a special way.

Meanwhile, her character in the Lifetime film faces single parenthood, in reality, Gabourey expresses gratitude for having a supportive spouse like her husband Brandon, who they’ve been married to for four years.

She exclaimed, “He always takes on every challenge without hesitation. There isn’t much he won’t dare to do,” she admitted. “Being a parent can indeed get challenging at times, and sometimes you end up having to clean your baby’s nose with your mouth – it’s not exactly pleasant. Not many people share those moments on social media.

Gabourey went on to say, “I am truly amazed by him, not only as a father, but also as a man and a partner. Each day, he continues to improve even more.

6 p.m. Eastern Time on April 5, catch “Give Me Back My Daughter” on Lifetime. The show will be available for streaming the following day. For a dose of adorable moments between Gabourey and Brandon, continue reading.

—Reporting by Emily Curl

Gabourey Sidibe confirmed her relationship with Brandon Frankel on Instagram in May 2019, having only met two months prior on the dating app Raya. As Brandon shared three years later in an interview with Brides magazine, their initial date extended beyond seven hours.

In November 2020, Brandon popped the question to the actress from the Empire, announcing their joyous news on Instagram with a heartfelt post about their upcoming journey together. His message read: “I asked my dearest friend to be my wife, and she agreed! I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with this incredible, witty, stunning, and motivating woman I am fortunate enough to know. I can’t imagine a life without you. We complement each other perfectly, and we always manage to make everything enjoyable and unforgettable.

A month following their engagement, Gabourey celebrated Brandon’s birthday by posting a playful photograph on Instagram. The image hinted at their proposal, showing Brandon kneeling on the bed naked with balloons forming the words “Will you marry me?” in an amusing position. In December 2020, she captioned the post, “You are the funniest, kindest, toughest, most protective man in the world. You always support my crazy ideas, from painting your nails to trying rice noodle rose water ice cream and participating in silly photo shoots like this one!

As a lifestyle guru, I’d rephrase it like this: Last August, the renowned star posted on Instagram a heartfelt message from her partner Brandon, wishing her a cheerful morning. She confided in her followers about their schedules, admitting that she works tirelessly all week and comes home after he’s asleep, only to find herself still slumbering when he rises. She humorously added, “We’re more like ships passing in the night.” Yet, even though they might not physically be together, she emphasized that Brandon ensures to shower her with genuine affection. In a playful jab, she quipped, “I guess that PS5 is really on his wishlist!

The actress who was nominated for an Oscar had been talking about her wedding plans for several months, stating they were set for spring 2023. However, in December 2022, she disclosed on Live with Kelly and Ryan that she and Brandon had already exchanged vows over a year prior. She admitted to not liking weddings, saying, “I don’t like them; I’m actually married.” The couple secretly tied the knot at their kitchen table four months after getting engaged, but they still intended to have a ceremony in the future. After she made the announcement, Brandon expressed his joy as a newlywed on Instagram: “Now I can officially call her my WIFE publicly! I’m so grateful to have found my forever partner, my companion, and the love of my life.

2023 finds me taking a leap in expressing my deep affection for my beloved wife – I decided to get her name tattooed on my upper thigh! Sharing this special moment with the world through an Instagram post, I revealed “Gabourey” etched onto my skin and her heartwarming reaction.

“What did you do? Why did you do this?” she giggled, surprised yet touched by my gesture. “Okay, spelled correctly, good job,” she added, expressing her relief. I wanted to set the record straight that it was all my idea and not hers.

“I love my wife so much I wanted to ink her name on me forever,” I wrote in the caption. “And she was initially concerned that y’all might think she made me do it. Rest assured, I’m just crazy in love.

Gabourey and Brandon shared on Instagram in February 2024 that they were expecting twins, with a picture showing him gently touching her baby bump. In the post, she wrote, “I’m pregnant! We figured it was high time our cats had some duties, so we’re assigning each one a baby to look after.” The caption continued, “Twice the babies mean twice the cats, and twice the fun!

Four months after the arrival of twins Maya and Cooper with her husband in April 2024, she shared an update about their newborn life with her followers. She posted a photo of the two infants relaxing in their bouncer chairs as she read “The People Could Fly” by Virginia Hamilton to them. The caption for this August 2024 post was simply “Story Time.

I couldn’t help but share this heartwarming moment from my Instagram story, featuring the adorable bond between those little miracles at only four months old! ‘They can’t explore their sensory books,’ I wrote alongside the August 2024 video, ‘because they’re too engrossed in holding hands.’ It’s moments like these that remind me just how special they are!

The talent agent has an abundance of posts centered around his top three girls. In November 2024, Brandon published a tribute for Gabourey and their twin babies, Cooper and Maya, as they turned seven months old, affectionately referring to them as the “joys” of his life.
“No matter how challenging things may be or how chaotic the world seems, your smiles when you see me always fill my heart with warmth,” he penned. “I love you all more than anything.

Gabourey Sidibe shared a video of her and Brandon’s twins’ first Christmas, who were 8 months old at the time. She captioned the post on December 26th as “The First Frankel Family Christmas for The SidiBabies was a hit! They absolutely adored the boxes!” Her husband was thrilled with their accomplishment, commenting, “We’ve won the parent Super Bowl!

To commemorate their sixth anniversary, Gabourey posted a heartfelt tribute to her spouse, Brandon, by sharing a collection of photos of them together, reflecting on their relationship. In her caption, she wrote, “We first met in late March [2019],” the Big C alum noted alongside the March 2025 carousel. “In June, he came to see me in New Orleans, and for fun, I took him to a tarot card reader who predicted he would soon be married with children.” She continued, “[Brandon] has been chasing after me every day since we met. If I had known earlier what an amazing husband he would become, I would have stayed still and let him catch up sooner.

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2025-04-03 23:49