Current:Home > ContactChristopher Meloni, Oscar Isaac, Jeff Goldblum and More Internet Zaddies Who Are Also IRL Daddies -Infinite Edge Capital
Christopher Meloni, Oscar Isaac, Jeff Goldblum and More Internet Zaddies Who Are Also IRL Daddies
View
Date:2025-04-21 06:36:02
Who's your zaddy?
In recent years, the term "zaddy" has been thrown around the internet a lot to describe a hot (and usually older) man—regardless if he has kids. And though Merriam-Webster says it hasn't quite met their criteria for dictionary status, the brand noted it's a slang "we are increasingly seeing in use."
And FYI for the uninitiated, "Many of the attractive males—most often of the celebrity type—who have been labeled as zaddies are not fathers," the publisher noted in a 2018 article explaining the word's origin. "A zaddy seems to have that certain je ne sais quoi combining looks, confidence, and charm."
However, that's not to say that social media isn't thirsting for zaddies who are actually daddies, too. Take 62-year-old Christopher Meloni, who said he's embraced the title "to the best of my ability" after photos of his booty when viral.
"Maybe I'm the zaddy of the moment," the actor—who shares kids Sophia, 22, and Dante, 19, with wife Sherman Williams—told E! News' Daily Pop in 2021, "and I humbly accept that, thank you."
And as someone who became a first-time father at age 63, Jeff Goldblum doesn't mind being called a daddy or a zaddy. (The Jurassic Park alum is dad to sons Charlie, 7, and River, 6, with retired gymnast Emilie Livingston.)
"Sometimes, they say 'zaddy,'" Jeff said of his fans in a 2018 episode of Hot Ones. "Sure, I like it!"
However, he later noted that he much enjoys being a dad rather than zad. "I think it's very complimentary...but I like being a daddy," he explained on The Kelly Clarkson Show in 2020. "That opened up a whole new world."
Who else is considered a zaddy in Hollywood? Keep reading to find out.
Long before he welcomed sons Eugene, 6, and Mads, 3, with wife Elvira Lind, fans have considered the Moon Knight star to be a zaddy purely based on his salt-and-pepper hair and daring fashion sense. Though Oscar has not publicly comment on his endearing title, the 44-year-old made no objections to being referred to as "daddy" by both family and followers in the meantime.
"I didn't know the fans called me daddy, but that's okay," he said in 2022 interview with Taiwan-based news outlet ETtoday. "They can call me daddy if they want to. I don't mind."
The Luther actor reached dad status way back in 2002, when he welcomed daughter Isan with his first wife Hanne Nørgaard, and again in 2004 following the birth of his and Naiyana Garth's son Winston. As for his zaddy status, the 50-year-old—who moonlights as a DJ under the name Driis—made that known in 2017, when he named his remix of SHY FX's "Chocolate" as the "Sugar Zaddy" mix.
Given how he was named People's Sexiest Man Alive in 2010—years before welcoming James, 8, Inez, 6, Betty, 3 and his newest 3-month-old with wife Blake Lively—there is simply no question as to whether or not the Deadpool star is a zaddy. After all, the 46-year-old was even listed as a prime example in Esquire's explainer of a zaddy.
As dad to five kids—including son Matteo, 8, and daughter Emilia, 5, with wife Felicity Blunt—Stanley made social media users very thirsty when a video tutorial of him making a Negroni went viral in 2020. Since then, the Devil Wears Prada actor has become one of the internet's favorite zaddies, prompting countless NSFW tweets about him.
"Some of them were so funny," the 62-year-old recalled to ET Canada, "and some of them were so lewd that you were like, 'Oh my God, who thinks of that?'"
Due to internet memes about his butt, the Law & Order: SVU alum's zaddy status was quickly cemented by social media users. However, his family—which includes wife Sherman Williams and kids Sophia, 22, and Dante, 19—feels differently about his fan-appointed title.
"My wife, she's lovely, she gets it, Meaning she's like, 'Eh, whatever,'" he told People in 2022. "My kids, on the other hand, invariably once a month, it's 'Really? Really?' Their friends will send them a meme that's come out or whatever, but I think secretly in their hearts, they get it."
He added, "It's cool because we all have a good goof with it. My children's friends bust my chops, but it's all fun. It's an honor."
The CNN anchor—who is dad to sons Wyatt, 3, and Sebastian, 16 months—even has Andy Cohen's seal approval. "My favorite Zaddy in my living room," Andy captioned a May 3 photo of the notorious silver fox mid-interview, "pummeling me with hard hitting questions!"
While the actor—who shares daughters Esmeralda, 8, and Amada, 7, with Eva Mendes—has been a Hollywood heartthrob since his Notebook days, he's been nudged into zaddy territory in recent years. However, the 42-year-old is still admittedly confused by the term.
"What is a zaddy?" he asked in an outtakes video for a Netflix shoot. "Where does the 'z' come from."
After a crew member explained it's a word that "kids are saying" nowadays, he quipped, "Well, this kid isn't saying it."
The 59-year-old may have been everyone's favorite uncle on Full House, but he's is now a certified hot dad after welcoming son Billy with his wife Caitlin McHugh in 2018. John was even named "Sexiest Zaddy" by People in 2020!
Once described as a "walking fire emoji" by in promo for Netflix's Sweet Girl, the 43-year-old shares daughter Lola, 15, and son Nakoa-Wolf, 14, with ex Lisa Bonet.
Though 58, the seemingly ageless rocker—who is dad to 34-year-old Zoë Kravitz—has been dubbed a zaddy by many, including radio personality B. Scott.
The Jurassic Park alum is admittedly a "late bloomer" when it comes to being a sex symbol, telling the Chicago Tribune in 2019, "I'm having a bit of a growth spurt and especially around music and many other things—acting and fatherhood."
And as dad to sons Charlie, 7, and River, 6, with wife Emilie Livingston, the 70-year-old is, as The Times once put it, the "zaddiest zaddy who ever zaddied."
While many have considered the Ocean's 11 star somewhat of a zaddy for years due to his signature salt-and-pepper hair, he had fans falling head-over-heels when he welcomed twins Ella and Alexander with wife Amal Clooney in 2017.
Sign up for E! Insider! Unlock exclusive content, custom alerts & more!veryGood! (9)
Related
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- Australian mother Kathleen Folbigg's 20-year-old convictions for killing her 4 kids overturned
- A Thai senator linked to a Myanmar tycoon is indicted for drug trafficking and money laundering
- Doping law leads to two more indictments, this time against coaches who used to be elite sprinters
- Costco membership growth 'robust,' even amid fee increase: What to know about earnings release
- Ohio’s 2023 abortion fight cost campaigns $70 million
- What is wrong with Draymond Green? Warriors big man needs to harness control on court
- Australian mother Kathleen Folbigg's 20-year-old convictions for killing her 4 kids overturned
- Could your smelly farts help science?
- Strongest solar flare in years could create awesome northern lights display: What to know
Ranking
- 'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
- Are you playing 'Whamageddon'? It's the Christmas game you've probably already lost
- Jake Paul vs. Andre August live updates: Start time, live stream, highlights, results
- Greta Gerwig named 2024 Cannes Film Festival jury president, first American female director in job
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- UK police say they’re ‘overjoyed’ that British teen missing for 6 years has been found in France
- How Eagles' Christmas album morphed from wild idea to hit record
- Pope Francis calls for global treaty to regulate artificial intelligence: We risk falling into the spiral of a technological dictatorship
Recommendation
Head of the Federal Aviation Administration to resign, allowing Trump to pick his successor
Teen plotted with another person to shoot up, burn down Ohio synagogue, sheriff says
Moldova and Georgia celebrate as their aspirations for EU membership take crucial steps forward
The 10 best real estate markets for 2024: Sales growth and affordability
New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
Wisconsin Republicans call for layoffs and criticize remote work policies as wasting office spaces
Dog respiratory illness cases confirmed in Nevada, Pennsylvania. See map of impacted states.
UN peacekeeping chief welcomes strong support for its far-flung operations despite `headwinds’