Jennifer Connelly Shares Rare Pic of Son on His Birthday - He Was Accepted by Famous Stepdad & Is Al

• Jennifer Connelly is a mother of three. Her eldest child is from a previous short-lived relationship.
• She met her husband, Paul Bettany, on a movie set, and they have been together for twenty years since.
• He proposed to her before they started dating after worrying about her following a catastrophic event.

"Top Gun: Maverick" star Jennifer Connelly recently showed off one of her children in a throwback picture post from a movie set in the 2000s.

On her Instagram account with one million followers, the actress shared the photo featuring her and her son in a car and gushed over him.

Actress Jennifer Connelly attends a special screening of "Top Gun: Maverick" at AMC Magic Johnson Harlem on May 23, 2022 in New York | Source: Getty Images

"On set of A Beautiful Mind with my beautiful boy. Happy birthday, Kai! I love you so much," the doting parent captioned her social upload.

Connelly welcomed her son Kai Dugan in July 1997 with photographer David Dugan. The former couple only dated for a short while before parting ways.

Kai was raised by his mom and stepfather, Paul Bettany. He and Bettany seemed to have bonded over their shared love for music as he performed in Bettany's band when he was only 15. The proud stepdad spoke about the experience in a January 2010 interview:

"Every year we have a band that gets together and plays rock songs. This year, my stepson joined the band for the first time playing guitar. It was such a lovely, moving experience."

English actor Paul Bettany with his wife Jennifer Connelly and her son Kai Dugan at the world premiere of "Top Gun: Maverick!" aboard the USS Midway on May 4, 2022 in San Diego, California | Source: Getty Images

In May 2022, Kai, now 26, accompanied his mom and stepdad to the San Diego premiere of the action film "Top Gun: Maverick," which also stars Tom Cruise. The trio walked the red carpet and posed for photos.

Kai sported a black leather jacket with a white shirt and navy pants. His famous mother donned a long-sleeved gold column gown with a high neck, while Bettany wore a classic suit.

How Did Jennifer Connelly Meet Her Husband?

Connelly and the English actor crossed paths in 2001 on the set of the romantic drama film, "A Beautiful Mind," but they did not start dating until after filming. Connelly, who earned an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in the movie, recalled when she first noticed Paul on set:

"I remember meeting him at the first read-through. I thought, 'Hmm, he's really good, that guy.'"

Jennifer Connelly and her husband Paul Bettany at a special screening of "Blood Diamond" at The Museum of Modern Art on November 30, 2006 in New York City | Source: Getty Images

It appears Bettany was also smitten by her that same day and gushed about her beauty during a 2015 interview, saying it was quite an experience for him:

"I've never been this close to someone that beautiful before. I remember thinking, 'I bet every man you ever met has tried to flirt with you.'"

Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany at the Louis Vuitton show during Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2018 on October 3, 2017 in Paris, France | Source: Getty Images

Meanwhile, Connelly revealed that Bettany finally won her over after playing the guitar. Bettany admitted that following the 9/11 attacks that year, he became so worried about Connelly and decided to call her, but it took a few days to reach the former child model.

They barely knew each other at that point, but the actor was drawn to getting in touch with Connelly after going their separate ways once filming wrapped.

He said his life "changed forever" after that event and remembered thinking to himself, "What are you doing?" Realizing he was in love, he finally made contact with her. "I said, 'I'm coming over, let's get married," Bettany revealed, adding, "We had never dated."

Interestingly, Connelly accepted his proposal, and he relocated from his native land London to New York City to live with her almost instantly.

The couple married in a private family ceremony in Scotland on New Year's in January 2003. It was barely four months after being together. Bettany described their wedding as "Victorian" because they did not live together initially.

The pair welcomed two children together. They had their son Stellan Bettany in August 2003, followed by their daughter Agnes Bettany in May 2011.

What Do Connelly's Kids Look Like?

Bettany and Connelly welcomed their first child together only eight months after they walked down the aisle. Their son Stellan is reportedly a perfect combination of them both in terms of looks.

The father of two once spoke frankly about raising his son, saying, "When your child is all sleepy and cuddly, and they get to snuggle up, and you read them a bedtime story … It's the bit of parenting that makes up for when they're screaming and shouting at you."

Jennifer Connelly, Paul Bettany, and their children pictured cheering at the MTS Centre on March 30, 2013 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada | Source: Getty Images

When he was six, Stellan preferred literature over music, and books mattered to Kai too. The doting dad revealed reading for his sons was essential, something he and his wife did every evening.

Bedtime stories bring a lot of memories for Bettany. As a child, his father used to make up many stories at bedtime. He said he created "wild stories" about an elephant, and as he got older, he read "Lord of the Rings" to him.

In addition, Stellan also happens to love music, just like his famous dad. His mother shared that he is good at it during an appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

As for her only daughter Agnes, she too has a keen interest in Hollywood and has shown the desire to follow in her mom and dad's footsteps.

Stellan Bettany and his mom Jennifer Connelly at the 95th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on March 12, 2023 in Hollywood, California | Source: Getty Images

In the same interview, Connelly shared that her lastborn enjoys being on set with her and is leaning toward directing instead of acting. "She'll sit by the monitor with headphones on and watch quite critically," the award-winning mother explained.

Connelly revealed that her children attended the same primary school she attended in New York. The "Hulk" star shared that her eldest child, Kai, was about to graduate after studying mechanical engineering. Her middle child Stellan was a musician and her youngest, Agnes, then seven, often helps her run lines at night.

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