Mae Whitman and Carlos Valdes of Hulu's 'Up Here' pose for a portrait during the 2023 Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on January 14, 2023 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by JSquared Photography/Getty Images) © Getty

OOPS

Mae Whitman's baby daddy Carlos Valdes called it his 'personal preference' for privacy before Lauren Graham's confession

Carlos Valdes revealed he was a father last week, keeping the details private


Senior Writer
MARCH 11, 2025 6:21 PM EDT

Mae Whitman might be a little upset at her former onscreen mom, Lauren Graham, because, like real parents sometimes do, she just spilled a big secret! Whitman, 36, welcomed her son Miles in August 2024 and managed to keep the father’s identity under wraps—until now.

Carlos Valdes and Mae Whitman of Hulu's 'Up Here' pose for TV Guide Magazine during the 2023 Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on January 14, 2023 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Maarten De Boer/Getty Images) © Getty
Carlos Valdes and Mae Whitman starred in Hulu's 'Up Here' as love interests

Whitman, Graham, and Dax Shepard were on Parenthood together from 2010 to 2015. Graham was a recent guest on Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast, where she casually (and likely accidentally) dropped the name of Whitman’s “baby daddy.”

Talking about her friendship with Whitman, Graham explained that it’s been hard to keep up with her lately. “They’re in New York now,” she said, surprising Shepard, who quipped that he’s been trying to hang out with Whitman for the last decade. 

Graham continued, “Carlos, her baby daddy, is on Broadway in Hadestown, which I feel happy to plug because he’s fantastic in it.” She doubled down, adding, “Carlos Valdes. He’s lovely, he’s really great.”

The Twinless star, also shared that Whitman is currently in Ireland for work and has the baby with her.

Valdes and Whitman played love interests in Hulu’s 2023 series Up Here, but until now, neither had confirmed their real-life connection.

Carlos recently revealed he is a father

Graham may have been the first to say his name, but Valdes opened up about fatherhood just a few days earlier. In an interview with People, he shared, “Not a lot of people know this, but I’m a dad, a relatively new dad.”

As for why they kept things quiet, it might have been Valdes’ call. “It’s my personal preference that I don’t share more beyond that,” The Flash star said, adding, “but being a Broadway dad… let me tell you, it’s not for the faint of heart! This life is pretty unforgiving when it comes to balancing it with parenting.”

© Getty
Carlos Valdes

Whitman has been keeping things low-key since welcoming her son and hasn’t posted on Instagram since September 2024. She announced his birth on August 28 with a sweet photo of a tan hand, which we now know is Valdes’ holding their infant's tiny foot.

“Not to be a Bieber about it, but I too just gave birth to our son, Miles,” she wrote, referencing Hailey Bieber, who had welcomed her first child just days earlier. “From the moment we heard the first tiny sound out of his tiny piggy mouth, we were besotted. He is the kindest, gentlest, smartest, funniest little beebee and he’s our best friend. We are infinitely grateful he chose us as his parents.”

© Getty

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