Christina Ricci Reveals Husband Named Their Daughter On His Own

Everyone knows things get crazy in the delivery room when a baby is on the way. Throw in a c-section and suddenly there’s a lot more to think about. During an appearance on “The Ellen Degeneres Show”, “Yellowjackets” star Christina Ricci talked about how the chaos of the moment led to her husband choosing their daughter’s name. 

Ricci and husband Mark Hampton married in October 2021, and their baby girl was born a few weeks later on December 8. Ricci told Ellen that she and Hampton previously discussed baby names prior to the birth and they decided on Cleo. 

As Ricci was being prepared for surgery, the staff told the couple that they needed to think about the birth certificate. Though they’d decided on Cleo, Ricci told Ellen that Hampton wanted further clarification. “My husband was like, ‘Well, we’re gonna give her a full name, right? And then the nickname’s Cleo.’” 

With Ricci about to deliver her daughter, she wasn’t thinking too much about Hampton’s question. He’d expressed interest in the name Cleopatra before, but Ricci always envisioned her full name as Cleo. “I just thought [her full name] would be Cleo,” she said. “I was like, ‘well, we’ll figure this out later,’ but he figured it out while I was recovering.”

It wasn’t until after their daughter was born that Ricci learned her husband not only chose the name, he posted it on Instagram: Cleopatra Ricci Hampton.

“He got so excited that he put it on Instagram. And then media outlets picked it up. So I was like, ‘I guess her name is Cleopatra,’” Ricci recalled. 

Ricci came to terms with the name very quickly. “Cleopatra is good. It’s a queen’s name.”

Ricci is also mom to 7-year-old Freddie Heerdegen, whom she shares with ex-husband James Heerdegen. She told Ellen that Freddie quickly adapted to life with his new sibling. “He’s great, he loves being a big brother so much. He kisses her all the time,” she said. 

Little Freddie also wants to be an actor like his famous mom. Ricci’s career started at the age of seven, but she’s hoping he takes his time before tossing his hat into the Hollywood madness. “He wants to be an actor, but I’ve told him that he should spend all this time honing his craft, so then when he’s 18 or 23 or whatever, he’s already spent all of his time getting really good.”

Ricci is currently starring in the Showtime hit series “Yellowjackets” as the grown-up version of the troubled Misty. Ricci filmed the first season while pregnant with baby Cleo. 

“It was a little bit tough,” she said. “I was trying not to show for a really long time. So I intentionally wore a lot of jackets. I got tired, I got hungry. I got a little vicious…and no one knew it was because I was pregnant. I’d have these mini freak-outs.”

“Yellowjackets” has been renewed for a second season ahead of the season 1 finale.