Criminal Minds star Shemar Moore, 52, to be a father, despite worries the 'ship had sailed'

Criminal Minds star Shemar Moore has revealed he is finally going to be a dad at the age of 52.

Moore, who is best known for his starring role as Derek Morgan on Criminal Minds, revealed the news on The Jennifer Hudson Show.

"I'm Shemar Moore, 52-and-a-half-years-old," Moore said, building anticipation. "My mother is in heaven right now. It'll be her three-year anniversary on February 8th," he added.

Watch the video above.

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"And on February 8th I'm gonna make one of her dreams come true because in real life Shemar Moore is about to be a daddy," he said, receiving cheers from the audience and Hudson.

"Congratulations! That's news!" an excited Hudson exclaimed adding, "And your mama is gonna be so proud, smiling at you from heaven."

Moore, who is expecting his first child with his partner Jesiree Dizon, said he's "so excited" about the news.

"I'm sorry she can't be here. I was worried for a while that maybe that ship had sailed, but God had my back and things lined up," Moore said.

The actor, who stepped down from his iconic role on Criminal Minds in 2016, noted that his life is "pretty grand" but that his upcoming role as a father will be "the best part" of his life.

It's unknown when Moore and Dizon, who is a model, started dating, though most outlets note their relationship going public in 2021. Dizon has two children – her daughter Charli and a son – from two different relationships.

Following the announcement, Moore shared a clip from the couple's gender reveal party. The party-goers discovered the news after a helicopter released pink smoke in the sky.

In the video, Moore is seen beaming with joy at the news and holding up a "Girl dad" t-shirt.

"I honestly just want whatever is healthy, happy like [Moore] says 10 fingers, 10 toes," Dizon says in the video. "I'm just so excited for this portion of our life together, and it's going to be amazing."

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