Game of Thrones star Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson has announced that he and his wife, Kelsey Henson, experienced the “unbearable loss” of a stillbirth.
In a joint Instagram post shared on 10 November, the actor - known for his role as “The Mountain” in the HBO drama series - revealed that his daughter Grace Morgan Hafthorsdottir was delivered at 21 and a half weeks. “It is with great sorrow that we announce the birth of our daughter, Grace Morgan Hafthorsdottir born Nov 8th at 21 1/2 weeks gestation,” the couple captioned the post.
“After a noticeable decrease in movement we found out her heart had stopped beating,” Björnsson and Henson continued. “Words cannot describe our pain of this loss or our happiness at being able to spend time with our daughter. She is absolutely beautiful, with blonde lashes and brows and a little smile for mom and dad.”
“The love we feel for her is overwhelming. The grief we feel will be with us forever but so will the love. All of our hopes and dreams for her have been taken away from us but I know I will be with her again,” they added. “Her spirit lives on through us and her siblings. We ask that you respect our privacy at this time as we grieve this unbearable loss. Thank you all for any kind words and support.”
Björnsson and Henson shared several photographs from the hospital, including images of baby Grace. The 34-year-old professional strongman could be seen lying with his wife in the hospital bed, as they looked down at their daughter wrapped in a white cloth. Another image showed the couple’s three-year-old son, Stormur, sitting alongside his mother and holding baby Grace.
Many friends and followers took to the Instagram comments to share their condolences for the couple.
“So sorry for your loss,” wrote actor Terry Crews in the comments.
“My heart goes out to you both and Stormur,” said fellow athlete Martins Licis. “I’m sorry for your loss, and can’t even begin to imagine what you’re going through. May you guys find peace at whatever pace needed by your hearts.”
“Thor, I am so sorry. We all love you big man,” added filmmaker Christopher Bell.
In October, the pair announced they were expecting another baby with a sweet Instagram post. Their son could be seen standing in front of his parents, wearing a black T-shirt that read "brother” and holding pictures of Grace’s ultrasound.
“Life is precious and I couldn’t be happier to announce that our family is growing bigger,” Björnsson captioned the post. “Kelsey is 19 weeks pregnant with a healthy child who we cannot wait to meet!”
Björnsson and Henson tied the knot in October 2018 in the actor’s home country of Iceland. In addition to son Stormur, Björnsson also shares daughter Theresa Líf with ex-girlfriend Thelma Björk Steimann.
