Bradley Cooper reveals how being dad to daughter Lea changed him

"Honestly, I'm not sure I'd be alive if I wasn't a dad."

February 28, 2024, 10:58 AM

Bradley Cooper is opening up about fatherhood in a very honest way.

The "Maestro" multi-hyphenate, 49, had a frank conversation on the Feb. 26 episode of Dax Shepard's "Armchair Expert" podcast, sharing that becoming a dad to daughter Lea De Seine changed his life.

Cooper said welcoming Lea in 2017 with ex-girlfriend Irina Shayk helped him decide to work on himself in an effort "to do the least amount of damage that I could do to my daughter."

"Honestly, I'm not sure I'd be alive if I wasn't a dad," he revealed, clarifying that he was just talking about his own experience.

PHOTO: Bradley Cooper and Lea De Seine Shayk Cooper attend Netflix's "Maestro" Los Angeles Photo Call on Dec. 12, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Bradley Cooper and Lea De Seine Shayk Cooper attend Netflix's "Maestro" Los Angeles Photo Call on Dec. 12, 2023, in Los Angeles.
Axelle/bauer-griffin via Getty Images

Cooper likened Lea to a "massive anchor" in his life, one that he didn't know he needed but would help stabilize him and help him weather the "tsunami" of life.

"This is gonna dictate everything you do from now on," he added. "Your DNA is going to tell you that there's something more important than you."

Cooper also admitted he initially didn't understand when parents would say they'd die in a second for their child and, for the first couple months of Lea's life, he said he wasn't even sure he loved her.

"It's dope. It's cool. I'm watching this thing morph," he explained, noting that she -- and fatherhood -- grew on him. "And then, all of a sudden, it's like no question."