Matthew McConaughey Shares Sweet Details About Camila, Levi
A lot has changed in the life of actor Matthew McConaughey since the birth of baby Levi, now four weeks old. However, the new dad seems laid-back as always in an upcoming interview on CNN’s House Call, airing in two parts. (The first half airs 8:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday; the second half airs next Saturday, August 16th). The proud pop talks to Dr. Sanjay Gupta about girlfriend and mother Camila Alves, 25, his family values, and Levi’s first outings.
Describing Camila’s intensive labor, which ultimately ended in an emergency c-section, Matthew said, "You see a woman just really digging deep into her soul, and bearingpain, and being on top of it. I saw a strength comeout of her I’d never seen before." Now that Levi is here and the delivery is in the past, the 38-year-old actor explains, "We’ve gone through something now that we’re like, ‘I know, and you know, and only you and I know, and that’s good for us.’"
Matthew also revealed that the couple saved Levi’s placenta, and plans to plant it in a local orchard in the near future. He drew inspiration from an Australian Aboriginal custom, in which the placenta of every memberof a clan gets buried under a giant tree.
In terms of a hope for his son to follow in his famous footsteps, Matthew says Levi will never face any pressure to be a star — and he and Camila have a plan if he starts feeling entitled by his station in life. "If that’s a major burden, if something like ‘Oh, I’ve got famousparents and I can’t get out of their shadow,’ if that kind of thingwere to happen, I got a little road trip we’ll take to Africa that willsober things right up for him," Matthew laughs. "No, we’reliving a little higher than that, a little better than that…He’sgot us, we love him."
Click ‘Continue Reading’ for more from the interview, including the two family mottos, and why Matthew and Camila take Levi with them everywhere they go.
Of the way he and Camila intend to raise their son, Matthew says hedraws inspiration from his late father, who died when Matthew was inhis 20s. He shares two family mottos:
Don’t lie, and don’t say ‘I can’t’. Never C-A-N-T — nasty word in our family, and that will be a nasty word to Levi.
As for little Levi’s life so far, Matthew — who has already taken his son to a John Mellencampconcert — says he wants to get Levi used to the sights and sounds ofthe world around him. He and Camila are accomplishing this by includingLevi in just about everything they do!
Everyone talked about how, oh, you have a kid, life changes, it’s like180 degrees on a dime full stop, wow. And a lot of them hadan insinuation under that like, you have to stop living your life asyou live it. That hasn’t been the case. [It just] takes a little more prep time todo whatever it is you’re going to do.
The baby boy — who Camila says is "straight up his father. He has my lips, but he looks so much like Matthew. He’s a white boy!" — made an appearance at an event for mom Thursday night, celebrating the launch of her handbag line, MUXO, at the tony Kitson boutique in Los Angeles. Kitson owner Fraser Ross told PEOPLE,"He’s a very well-behaved baby. And Camila’s adorable [with him]."While Levi spent the evening in a private room with a nanny, he did getseveral visits from mom and dad — as Matthew shared, "With Camilabreastfeeding every three hours, she can’t beaway from the child. So she’s got to be there!"
For a video of Matthew’s interview, visit CNN.com.
Sources: CNN.com, EXTRA, People.com; Photo by AXELLE/Bauer-Griffin.
