Award-winning television star Kirstie Alley thought she would never be a mother until she was blessed with two children she adopted and adored.
The “Cheers” actress tried to conceive, but she had a miscarriage in 1990 while three months pregnant. At the time, Alley was married to her second husband, actor Parker Stevenson, whom she wed in 1983.
Actress Kirstie Alley attends the “Delta Force 2” West Hollywood premiere at the DGA Theatre on August 23, 1990 in West Hollywood, California┃Source: Getty Images
The Emmy Award winner candidly discussed her pregnancy loss in her 2015 book, revealing it took its toll on her well-being. She struggled to make peace with the fact that she had lost her baby and gained weight and convinced herself that she was still expecting even months after losing her unborn child. She said:
“When the baby was gone, I didn’t get over it. […] I was still fat, I was still grieving.”
Alley would soon learn there was a very slim chance she would ever become a mom naturally. That said, she and her spouse opted for adoption.
Two years later, in 1992, the couple became first-time parents when they welcomed their first child, son William True Stevenson. Alley and the “Baywatch” alum expanded their family after welcoming their daughter, Lillie Stevenson, another two years later. In 1997, Parker and Alley divorced but continued to share custody of their kids.
Alley Raised Supportive Kids Who Made Her a Grandmother
Alley spoke proudly about her motherhood journey in an interview with People in 2006 and said one of her good qualities was being a mom. Though she raised her son and daughter away from the prying eyes of Hollywood, she could not stop raving about them in interviews. In 2006, the doting mom revealed her children were overly “protective” of her.
True and Lillie were also their mother’s source of inspiration in getting back into shape. They always encouraged her to join them in the water whenever they were swimming.
True Stevenson pictured with his mom Kirstie Alley and sister Lillie Stevenson at the “The Runaways” New York premiere at Landmark Sunshine Cinema on March 17, 2010 in New York City | Source: Getty Images
With the support of her kids, Alley eventually regained her confidence and was brave enough to appear on the “Oprah Winfrey Show” in a bikini in 2006. It was her way of celebrating her weight loss journey, and she told the media mogul that it would not have happened if her kids had not supported her.
After shedding weight, the Kansas native became a first-time grandmother when her son welcomed his firstborn, Waylon Tripp Parker, in 2016.
The Golden Globe Award winner shared the exciting news on Twitter by sharing several photos of her new grandson and tweeting: “proud Gammy.”
The “It Takes Two” star marked her first Christmas as a grandparent with then-six-month-old Waylon. She later divulged that she had a blast while celebrating the holiday.
And when True and his girlfriend worked for her for a few months, she spent more time with her grandchild and said the experience was “stupendous and exhilarating.”
The TV star would be the first to hold the newborn every morning and show him the holiday decorations while pacing around with him and “singing to him.”
The “Village Of The Damned” star also said it was a joy to witness her son being a parent himself. She lauded True and his significant other for being good parents and acknowledged that they were meant for it.
But True being a doting dad did not come as a surprise to his mother. The “Look Who’s Talking” star revealed her son had always been good with kids. “He loves babies,” said Alley.
True married his high school sweetheart when he was only seventeen. The pair walked down the aisle after dating for one year. Speaking ahead of the wedding in 2010, True’s mom said he and his girlfriend were head over heels in love with each other, adding he treated her well.
