(Kathy Hutchins, Ben Houdijk / Shutterstock.com)
Few people know that Rashida Jones is linked to a rock star, and even fewer know that she’s a new-ish mom. The Angie Tribeca star and Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig are parents to Isaiah Jones Koenig. But the couple did an excellent job at keeping the baby’s arrival a secret. Find out the lengths they went to in order to ensure that Rashida Jones’ baby wouldn’t be tabloid fodder.
Who Is Rashida Jones?
Rashida Jones is an actress, director, and producer who was born into the entertainment industry. The 44-year-old is the daughter of legendary music producer Quincy Jones and actress/model Peggy Lipton. She has one biological sister, Kidada, and five half-siblings.
Although she grew up a self-described “straight-up nerd,” the Harvard grad couldn’t ignore her calling in show biz. She made her acting debut in 1997; three years later, she landed her first major role in the David E. Kelley series Boston Public.
Prior to a semi-regular role on The Office, Jones almost walked away from acting. (“I never considered acting as a profession,” she said. “I wanted to be president, or a judge, or a lawyer.”) But if she hadn’t stuck with it, she would have missed her biggest role to date. For six seasons, she played the lovable Ann Perkins on the NBC hit Parks and Recreation.
From 2016 to 2019, Jones was the lead in the TBS comedy Angie Tribeca. But many of her recent projects have been on the other side of the camera. Quincy, a documentary about her father which she directed, premiered on Netflix in 2018. She is also an executive producer for #BlackAF, the Netflix series in which she stars.
Jones also had a hand in the script for Toy Story 4, although she left the gig before production wrapped. In a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, she described Pixar as “a culture where women and people of color do not have an equal creative voice,” but the experience didn’t stop her from writing altogether.
“I felt replaceable as an actress,” she said in a May 2018 interview with Porter. “You walk into a room, and they’ve already decided whether you’ve got the part based on your hair. There are people born to act, but I play parts which are just versions of me. Writing is more of a back and forth conversation. That, for me, feels better.”
Who Is Ezra Koenig?
Ezra Koenig, 36, is the frontman of the indie rock band Vampire Weekend. The Columbia University student formed the group in 2005 with fellow schoolmates. Within a year of releasing their debut album, they performed on Saturday Night Live and sold nearly half a million albums. The band boasts five Grammy nominations and two wins for Best Alternative Music Album in 2013 and 2019.
Father of the Bride, released in 2019, was Vampire Weekend’s first album in almost six years. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was hailed by David Fricke of Rolling Stone as “a masterpiece.” Check out the music video for the album’s lead single, “Harmony Hall.”
Koenig’s talents aren’t limited to singing and songwriting. He’s also hosted Time Crisis, an Apple Music radio show, since 2015. And in 2017, his anime-inspired series Neo Yokio debuted on Netflix. The comedy-adventure series features Jaden Smith voicing the lead character Kaz Kaan.
Rashida And Ezra Secretly Welcomed Isaiah Jones Koenig In 2018
Jones and Koening surprised the world when, in September 2018, it was announced that they were the proud parents of a baby boy, Isaiah Jones Koenig. Although Jones made public appearances while pregnant, she never announced the birth. A report from Us magazine said that the couple had welcomed Isaiah into the world months before the media found out.
While both parents are active on social media, they keep a relatively low profile. Jones’ Instagram feed is low on personal content—she sticks to professional and political posts. This one Instagram pic from Koenig is the closest they’ve come to sharing a photo of Isaiah, but one thing is missing: the little one himself!
Another interesting fact is that it’s still unknown whether Jones and Koenig are married or domestic partners. They reportedly started dating in 2016, but neither has ever confirmed their relationship through a publicist. In a 2011 interview with E!, she reveals her thoughts on traditional unions. “[Marriage] doesn’t buy you anything,” said Jones. “It just buys you a really big sh-tty pageant of a wedding to make other people happy.”
“Things are changing so much,” she added. “Especially this country, we have kind of failed with marriage. We’re so protective of this really sacred but failed institution. There’s got to be a new model. I don’t know what it is, but maybe it’s like 10 years with a lease to buy or rent to own.”
Jones was previously in a long-term relationship with Mark Ronson. She’s also been linked to John Krasinski, Colin Jost, and Jon Favreau. Although she hasn’t said much about her relationship with Koenig, the couple hasn’t been shy about public appearances. They were first spotted together at a 2016 New York Knicks game. The following year, they were still a pair at the Sundance Film Festival.
Jones brilliantly managed to dodge questions about her pregnancy when she appeared at the Toronto Film Festival for Quincy. She also downplayed her baby bump at the 2018 Vanity Fair Oscar party by wearing a loose, printed dress.
(Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com)
It seems that if the couple wanted to make a big deal of the news, they could have. But they obviously prefer to maintain a certain level of privacy, and the press obliges. We hope that Isaiah inherits his mom and dad’s talent so that we eventually get to see him. Until then, we respect Jones and Koenig’s decision to keep him away from the spotlight.