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Matt LeBlanc Became a Dad During ‘Friends’ Fame! Meet His Daughter and Stepkids
Starring on Friends for a decade boosted Matt LeBlanc’s career and was the perfect introduction to fatherhood. In 2004, just as the final season aired, the Emmy nominee became a dad to one child, daughter Marina Pearl LeBlanc. Keep scrolling to learn more about the actor’s kid with his ex-wife, Melissa McKnight.
Who Is Matt LeBlanc’s Daughter, Marina Pearl LeBlanc?
Matt and Melissa were married from 2003 to 2006. The television personality took on the role of being a father just as he landed his own spinoff called Joey in 2004. The sitcom in which he reprised his role of Joey Tribbiani aired until 2006. Even with all of his success on television, there is one day that has stood out to Matt as the best day of his life.
“I remember when my daughter, Marina, was born. The second I laid eyes on her, I was in love, and I had never felt that way before,” he gushed to The Mirror in February 2016. “I couldn’t believe it. I knew from that moment there was nothing that would ever stop me from loving her — even if she crashed my Ferrari.”
While the Man With a Plan star continued to snag acting gigs over the years, he decided to take a step back from Hollywood to spend time with his daughter. The Massachusetts native made the decision to end his role as the host of BBC’s Top Gear in 2019 after three years.
“I had some time off and realized I wasn’t sure about going back to Top Gear,” he told Daily Mail in February 2019. “I’d had time to think and to spend with my daughter and I realized how much I missed her — and my friends and my mother and sleeping in my own bed. I realized you need balance between work and play, and mine was out of whack. It was time to move on, which was a great call.”
Marina inherited some of her father’s zest for show business. In a May 2016 interview with People, Matt shared that his daughter’s interests included “horses and Rihanna.” The youngster also developed a love for singing and performing.
“She has a beautiful voice,” the Episodes actor told People in January 2014. “She has an audition for the talent show at her school today. I helped her to prepare some new pop song I don’t know.”
Who Are Matt LeBlanc’s Stepkids?
During his marriage to Melissa, Matt also became a stepdad to her two children from her previous marriage to Anthony Esposito. While he and the model only had one biological child together, Matt remained close to his stepkids, Tyler and Jacquelyn, after their divorce. Tyler is a sound engineer who works at a recording studio. Jacquelyn graduated from FIT and had dinner with Matt before the big ceremony in 2016.
“She’s in the design program,” Matt shared about his stepdaughter in a previous interview with People. “She’s a really hard worker, and I’m proud of her. She’s doing fantastic.”
