Game of Thrones star Thor Björnsson has shared the tragic news that his daughter Grace was stillborn.
Björnsson and his wife Kelsey Henson shared the devastating news on Instagram (November 10), following their daughter's delivery on November 8.
They wrote: "T.W stillbirth/delayed miscarriage. 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.
"After a noticeable decrease in movement we found out her heart had stopped beating. 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 post continued: "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.
"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."
The family has since had an outpouring of support from their followers, with one person writing: "I'm sorry for your loss. This might be one of the greatest pain anyone could feel. I send a lot of love to your family."
And in response to any social media users criticizing the couple for sharing such candid photos, another Instagram user wrote: "I used to volunteer to photograph mothers and families who lost their child in the hospital. Don’t listen to any of these negative comments. They don’t understand how precious these photos are. Thank you for sharing. Grace is beautiful. She’ll be missed."
The tragic announcement also comes just weeks after the couple - who were married back in October 2018 in the actor's home country of Iceland - posed with their three-year-old son, Stormur, to reveal that they were expected baby Grace.
As well as the three-year-old son, Stormur, who he shares with Henson, Björnsson is also dad to a daughter named Theresa Líf, who he shares with his ex-girlfriend, Thelma Björk Steimann.
At the time, the strongman and actor wrote: "Life is precious and I couldn’t be happier to announce that our family is growing bigger. Kelsey is 19 weeks pregnant with a healthy child who we cannot wait to meet!"
Our thoughts go out to Bjornsson, Henson, and all of their loved ones at this time.
For readers in the UK, Sands (Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity) offers a helpline for parents, families, and healthcare professionals affected by stillbirth. Please call 0808 164 3332 to talk to someone.
