Bradley Cooper Continues to Co-parent His 6-Year-Old Daughter, Living His Dream of Fatherhood

• Hollywood star Bradley Cooper is a dedicated and doting dad to his 6-year-old daughter, whom he co-parents with his ex, Irina Shayk.
• Becoming a father is something Cooper has always dreamt of, and he does all he can to be the best dad he can be.
• Recently, Cooper's little girl appeared on the red carpet with him.

Bradley Cooper, 48, has an illustrious acting career, which has seen him achieve impressive accolades and feats and established him as a prominent star in Hollywood.

Though Cooper is living a great life as a movie star, the "American Sniper" actor did not get to where he is today without having to do some work on himself. In a previous episode of a podcast, Cooper opened up about his past addiction struggles.

When speaking about this period in his life, Cooper divulged, "I was so lost." The star was in his 20s at the time and had moved to Los Angeles for his former role on "Alias." Though the show was popular, his stardom didn't fully take off until he booked "The Hangover" in his 30s.

This brief period, before the ultra-fame, allowed him to do some self-introspection and establish the changes he needed to go through in order to get to where he was headed. Now, he is described as "kind and vulnerable and human" by his peers in show business, like Jason Bateman.

When Cooper decided to stop drinking in his late 20s, it changed his life for the better. Of how positively impactful his choice to abstain from alcohol has been, Cooper stated, "I wouldn't have been able to have access to myself or other people or even been able to take in other people if I hadn't changed my life. No way..."

The blue-eyed actor also went on to say that he wouldn't have been able to build and foster the various relationships he has with people either, had he not quit drinking. One such relationship he may never have had was his romance with his ex-girlfriend Irina Shayk, 37.

The ex-couple, both known for their knack for privacy, began dating in 2015, and the following year, Shayk fell pregnant with their daughter, Lea De Seine, 6. Sadly, Shayk and Cooper ended their relationship in 2019, after four years together, despite having sparked engagement rumors in 2016.

Although they did not work out as a couple, the duo have remained stellar co-parents to their beloved daughter. Far from harboring negative feelings toward each other after their relationship ended, Shayk and Cooper have frequently praised each other's parenting skills.

When it comes to how they raise their daughter together without being in a romantic relationship, Shayk divulged, "When I'm with my daughter, I'm 100 percent a mother, and when she's with her dad, he's 100 percent her dad. Co-parenting is parenting."

Bradley Cooper Is Living His Fatherhood Dream Of Being a Doting Dad to His Beloved Daughter

When Shayk said that Cooper gives 100 percent as a father, she did not make that assertion lightly, as according to Cooper, becoming a father was something he "always dreamt of." His focus is dedicated to being the best father to Lea, and of his priority as her dad, Cooper said, "I just always want her to feel loved."

Recently, Lea and Cooper attended the red-carpet premiere of "Maestro," where the daughter-dad duo was seen posing for pictures as they held hands.

Fatherhood changed everything for the "A Star is Born" talent, who described his daughter as "incredible." While speaking about how fatherhood changed him in every way, Cooper mentioned, "It allowed me to embrace my childlike self without any sort of, like, fear of judgment...like I could just play with toys all day long and not feel like...'Is this weird?'..."

Though naturally, as a protective dad, he also described the other side of being a father, worrying and thinking about the world and the occasional burdens of life that his daughter may have to face. Such burdens include learning how to cope with loss, like when Cooper lost his father.

The death of Cooper's dad also had a profound impact on his perspective on life in general. It gave him a deeper sense of mortality, and for a time, he said his dad's passing made him adopt a "Nihilistic" attitude. However, he was able to pull himself out of that dark space and work through his grief.

As far as how his dad and their relationship shaped the father he is to Lea, Cooper said, "You learn from your— the predecessor's mistakes, and I'll make tons that hopefully Lea will learn from...being rigorous with myself to grow. To help unburden her..."

Previously, Cooper also spoke about how much of his father he sees in Lea, so much so that he recalled moments he would be alone with her when she was a baby and questioned whether it was actually his dad in the form of Lea.

Lea may only be six, but the little girl's personality is already packed with moxie. She is quite curious and outspoken like the time she asked her dad what happens to people after they pass away.

Cooper's daughter already has acting experience with her own IMDb page, which features her acting debut in her dad's recent film "Maestro." In the movie, Lea appears as the younger version of actress Maya Hawke's character Jamie Bernstein.

Like Cooper, Lea's mama bear, Shayk, could not be prouder of her little girl and showed support to Lea and Cooper for their fantastic work in the film.

In a since-expired Instagram story, Shayk reportedly posted a picture of the Instagram post promoting the movie, which shows Lea on the cover dancing with her on-screen mom.

Bradley Cooper and His Daughter Made a Recent Red Carpet Appearance Together

Recently, Lea and Cooper attended the red-carpet premiere of "Maestro," where the daughter-dad duo was seen posing for pictures as they held hands. The budding little actress wore a cute Dolce & Gabbana leopard print dress and gold ballet flats. She paired her look off with a chic red purse and a red lip.

Her dad opted for a classy navy suit with a formal white shirt underneath, a black tie, and black dress shoes. When fans saw the adorable images of the father and daughter, many could not stop swooning. Of the photos, one supporter said, "So cute 😍."

As more comments were made, others marveled at the striking resemblance shared between Cooper and Lea. A fan commented, "She's got his eyes."

Another social media user specifically pointed out how beautiful it was to see such an endearing moment occur between the father and daughter, whose bond only continues to grow closer and stronger as time goes on.