Bari Najma Ali Has a Rare Birth Story – Meet Mahershala Ali’s Daughter

Bari Najma Ali is Mahershala Ali and his long-time partner's first child, whom they welcomed in 2017. While the famous actor and his wife have kept their daughter away from the public's prying eyes, Mahershala Ali has gushed about his daughter on multiple occasions.

2017 proved to be a special time for Mahershala Ali. Not only did the actor take home the Oscar win for his role as Juan in "Moonlight," but he also became a first-time father after welcoming his daughter, Bari Najma Ali.

Despite her father's fame, Bari Najma Ali's parents have kept her protected from the limelight. However, her dad has opened up about his little girl on a few occasions and revealed she had an en caul birth.

Bari Najma Ali Was Still inside the Amniotic Sac When She Was Born

Mahershala announced the birth of his daughter in a since-deleted Instagram post, revealing her date of birth and name. According to reports, the actor, whose full name is Mahershalalhashbaz, told Jimmy Kimmel during an interview that he and his wife, Amatus Sami-Karim, were leaning towards a simpler name for their bundle of joy.

Bari's birth came at the start of award season, which saw her famous father earn an Oscar nomination — which he later won — for Best Supporting Actor for "Moonlight." However, during an interview, Mahershala revealed Bari had a unique birth. He said:

"The water didn't break until the baby was literally almost out. So when she was born, she came out in a clear bag. And I'm going, 'Wow, they come brand new.'"

Bari had an en caul birth, a rare occurrence where a baby is born inside an intact amniotic sac. The sac is filled with fluid and surrounds the fetus during pregnancy, protecting it from injury. The thin sac is meant to break, which is referred to as a woman's water breaking. However, in rare instances, this doesn't happen.

Bari Najma Ali's Father Gushing about Her and Her Mother

At the time of writing, Mahershala did not have any pictures of Bari on his Instagram account, and his wife — an artist, actress, and filmmaker — also avoided sharing content of their daughter on her account.

However, the actor has publically gushed about his daughter. During an interview at Jimmy Choo's Most Powerful Stylists in Hollywood dinner — also attended by Sarah Paulson, Dakota Johnson, Jhené Aiko, and more — Bari's father revealed she was all he could think about, even in his sleep.

"It's a very present awareness that you have of the well-being of this other person," Mahershala shared. Mahershala also sang his wife's praises. The actor revealed that Bari's delivery was quick, and Amatus gave birth without an epidural. The actor said:

"I'm telling you, women are the toughest beings on the planet — incredible seeing this eight-pound being come out of your body and just work that out. Unbelievable."

How Bari Najma Ali's Mom and Dad Balance Life as First-Time Parents

Shortly after Bari was born, her father was cast to star alongside Viggo Mortensen in "Green Book," filmed in New Orleans. After Bari and her mother relocated to New Orleans to be with the actor, they moved to Arkansas, where Mahershala filmed "True Detective" for ten months.

However, Bari's famous father, who has learned a lot since becoming a parent, revealed he and his wife often ensure they are on the same page by reacting and listening to each other. "Every now and then, we had to hit a turning fork to make sure we were in sync," he said.

Thus, Bari's dad started saying no to projects, and the family of three moved back to Los Angeles, so her mother also had the opportunity to focus on her own career.