INSTAGRAM/Jansson; INSTAGRAM/Chris McKenna
Chris McKenna, known to daytime fans for his run as One Life To Live‘s Joey Buchanan (1990-93) and Young and Restless‘s Mark Harding (2014-15), is a first-time dad! He and wife Lovisa Jansson McKenna welcomed their son, who they named Spencer J. McKenna, on July 26.
The couple announced in January that they were expecting a new addition to their family. McKenna wrote on Instagram, “My amazing wife and (the less amazing) I have been waiting to announce this. We’re very excited. Baby McKenna coming this summer.” He included is a video of the couple finding out if they would be welcoming a son or daughter by popping a gender-reveal balloon, which released a flurry of blue confetti. “The McKenna name lives on!” the actor heered. “Feel free to suggest boy baby names,” McKenna subsequently posted on X (formerly Twitter), teasing, “As of now I’m thinking ‘Quizard’… #babynames.”
In May, McKenna posted a shot with his wife at their baby shower, writing, “Thank you to everyone who came to the baby shower! It was lovely.”
As Lovisa’s due date neared, McKenna took to Instagram to express his admiration for his pregnant wife. “Looking forward to the next chapter with the most amazing woman I know,” he wrote. “You’ve been so strong, brave, brilliant, and more beautiful than ever throughout this. So proud of you and the mother you already are.”
On July 28, McKenna proudly revealed Spencer’s birth on Instagram. “Introducing Spencer J. McKenna, born 7/26/24,” he wrote. “My incredible wife @luulluu begged out of these photos but she was absolutely amazing. ❤️❤️❤️” McKenna shared images of himself with baby Spencer, including the newborn’s release from the hospital in his car seat as he made his way home for the first time.
Since his last soap appearance — a brief gig as Dr. Hayden on Bold and Beautiful in 2016 — McKenna has been busy on prime-time, appearing on shows like Chicago Fire, The Blacklist, NCIS, S.W.A.T. and Good Trouble. Soap Opera Digest congratulates him as he settles into his most important real-life role: Dad!
