National Treasure star Nicolas Cage, 58, and wife Riko Shibata, 27, are expecting their first child together as a married couple. In fact, the couple announced earlier this week that they already have a name picked out for their firstborn.
Cage recently opened up in an interview with GQ about his feelings regarding his growing family and his love for his wife. The couple initially tied the knot back in March 2021, and on the month of their first-year anniversary, the couple has shared their pregnancy with the public.
Humble Beginnings
The couple originally met in Japan back in 2020. However, due to the COVID social distancing and quarantine protocols, the couple found it difficult to fly to one another whenever they wanted. During the first year of their relationship, the couple endured a long-distance engagement.
Cage talked about his frustrations with his brother Marc Coppola on the Q104.3 radio show that the latter is a host of:
“She left New York and went back to Kyoto, Japan, and I went back to Nevada and I haven’t seen her for six months.”
A Peculiar Engagement
Being Nicolas Cage, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that his engagement was anything short of peculiar. Cage revealed that he proposed to Shibata via FaceTime and mailed her the engagement ring via a FedEx delivery. It’s definitely not the most typical engagement story, but it’s consistent with Cage’s eccentric personality.
Cage narrated on his brother’s radio show
“I got her a black diamond engagement ring. Her favorite color is black, so she wanted the black gold and the black diamond. I customized and personalized it, and I actually sent it to her FedEx”
After the engagement, the couple tied the knot in a reportedly “very small and intimate” ceremony at the Wynn Las Vegas.
Growing Family
Just a little over a year later, the couple has announced that they are expecting their first child together. Shibata’s first baby will be whereas Cage already has two children with a previous partner. This will also mark the fifth time that Cage will be getting married.
The couple has been surprisingly open about their pregnancy, even going as far as to reveal potential baby names. So far, Cage has expressed that the leading candidates for their baby’s names are Akira Francesco and Lennon Augie.
“Augie was my father’s nickname. And my uncle [Francis Ford Coppola] has decided to change his name to Francesco,”
The tenured actor also commented that despite this being his fifth marriage, he is optimistic that it will also be his last. Cage said:
“I am a romantic, and when I’m in love, I want to give that person everything I can,”
Source:Q104.3
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