Scott & Kelley Wolf Celebrate ‘Keeping Son Alive’

Howard Wise/JPI

As new parents, Scott Wolf and his wife Kelley celebrated a whole lot more than their son Jackson Kayse‘s first birthday last week.

“We’re managing so far,” the actor, 41, said on The Bonnie Hunt Show Monday.

“That was what the year birthday celebrated. We kept him alive for a year — big victory!”

His sentiments are with good reason. Following baby boy’s special day getting up close and personal with beluga whales at the Vancouver Aquarium, Wolf was the first to point out that he may have taken the opportunity a bit too far!

“Literally, [we were] right at the tank feeding them and touching their heads,” he reveals of the family’s “incredible” experience.

When it was suggested that a shot be taken of a whale kissing Jackson’s head, Wolf was the first to jump at the offer.

“Someone showed me a video clip that they took of it and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness. I will clearly do anything for a photo op,’” he jokes. “They’re the most docile, sweet creatures, but still … but we did get a great shot out of it! At the end of the day, photo first!”

Along with Jackson’s first milestones, the couple have met a few of their own in their relationship over the past year — particularly when it comes to spending alone time together.

“It’s funny because … our whole life was one big date night before we had a kid. We would hear people planning date nights and it always sounded crazy to us,” he admits.

“Now with the infant in the house we see that it doesn’t just happen, you have to make the effort to do it.”

And despite his wife’s nerves, Wolf reports the pair have already taken the plunge.

“The first night we left him with a babysitter we were driving to dinner and I looked at [Kelley] and her face was pleasant,” he recalls, “[but] her hands were wracked with anxiety over the fact that we just left our child with a complete stranger.”

– Anya Leon

Comments

Celebrating for keeping him alive is a pretty stupid thing to say. What about parents who have lost children, how insensitive are these comments. Can’t it be just a birthday celebration? These people are ridiculous. They make people who have lost a child, like myself feel like some sort of failure.

- Christy on April 4th, 2010

He is joking! And in a way he is right, that doesn’t make anyone else a failure. People need to stop taking every comment so personal.

- Anna on April 4th, 2010

I don’t tend to take things overally personal, but I too thought that was a stupid thing to say. Not knowing what the story was really about, I was thinking I was going to be reading about a child who made it through his first despite physical problems or some sort of birth defect. I lost a child…and it isn’t something you should make jokes about. Sorry.

- Anonymous on April 4th, 2010

Certain posters, not “these people”, are ridiculous.

He is clearly joking while speaking on a talk show. Never did he belittle or make a mockery out of those who have lost a child. People need to stop fishing for words in articles that they can miscontrue.

- Liliana on April 4th, 2010

His comments certainly aren’t smart or funny.

- Mira on April 4th, 2010

lol I thought it was funny. Every year on my birthday, my parents used to say that they should get gifts because they survived another year with me and kept me alive.

- Erika on April 4th, 2010

I have to say too, my first thought was that it was rather heartless to say. I have a friend whose son died at 3 months old. How would I explain this kind of comment to her. Some people need to think before they speak.

- Courtney on April 4th, 2010

seriously, while we all feel for those who have lost a child, this is not your opportunity to have a go. The man is clearly relieved at surviving the first year which is a big deal especially for new parents, he in no way implied anything about parents who’ve lost children. Sometimes you need to take a step back and understand that while it is a sensitive and prominent issue for you, it is not at the forefront of everybody else’s mind. Unless he was speaking directly to you and knew of your experience he said nothing offensive or wrong.

- steph on April 5th, 2010

Um okay, thanks for your clarifying. I still think it’s insensitive and ridiculous. They could just talk about how amazing his first year was and how they survived parenthood but celebrating for keeping him alive? Yeah not cool. I know he was joking, I’m not a fool. Then again I haven’t seen Scott Wolf do anything interesting in decades.

- Christy on April 5th, 2010

I said the same thing when my daughter turned 1! Please have a sense of humor and stop looking for something negative in every post.

- Jessicad on April 5th, 2010

When I first read “Celebrate keeping son alive,” I was confused by what that meant and assumed he had a child who was sick or had some other issues. As I have a nephew who has been touch and go for the last year after being born 3 months premature, I don’t see the humor in it. We actually do celebrate his months of being alive because every day he lives it is a true miracle. This is an OPINION and maybe I am more sensitive than the next person, but I am entitled to it.

- lauren on April 5th, 2010

I agree with you completely Steph, he was joking nothing he said was wrong, and it was NOT an attempt to be insensitive and belittle those who have lost a child. I completely understand where he was coming from. When I had my daughter I was so worried because I knew it was a little human life I needed to take care of, that depended completely on me, I never took it lightly and I was scared of every little thing, but mostly of things that you can’t stop happening, like illness and accidents. I lost my baby brother when he was 2 years old, and having experienced that, and having a child of my own, I know how commenters feel from both sides, and I can honestly say, he is a parent too, so just give him a chance, don’t trash him so quickly without taking a moment to see it from his pov.

- audrey on April 5th, 2010

Wow, I’ve never really watched any of this guy’s shows, but he seemed to be pretty smart. Now with this article and the one where he thought it was funny that he was drunk for the child’s delivery, I’m certainly re-evaluating.

- Jenn on April 5th, 2010

I think the comment is very insensitive. Of course he is joking, we all know- but jokes can be insenstitive and hurtful.
There are so many families for whom this phrase would be true- that they are truly celebrating that they kept their child alive. Of all the other things he could have said- why this? This is no joking mattter.

- Valerie on April 5th, 2010

JessicaD Thank you for your evaluation. I have a sense of humor. This was not funny though. Now, I’m seeing that he thought it was funny to be drunk at the delivery. Um yeah this guys a douche. If you have not lost a child, then this comment would not affect you. If you have you wouldn’t be saying it’s hilarious and telling people to get a sense of humor. By the way this is the first time I have commented anything “negative” on this website. I think your comment is negative. So welcome to America where we are ALL entitled.

- Christy on April 5th, 2010

I agree with Anna, Steph, Erika and the others. I’m sorry that some of you lost a child, but he’s obviously kidding and I don’t see why he wouldn’t be entitled to.

- Solène on April 5th, 2010

You people all need to seriously LIGHTEN UP!

- Elizabeth on April 5th, 2010

I’ve said the same thing!!! I was 19 when I had my first and tell her to this day (20+ years later) that I was so young, inexperienced and inept when she was born that she’s lucky she made it to Age 1 alive.

Are you seriously telling me that this man’s comment would make someone who actually lost a child feel like a failure?!?!?

Puleeze.

- Janna on April 5th, 2010

so you can’t make joke any more then is that what we are saying here, jeez get a grip will you, go outside get a life and stop passing judgement from behind your computers its getting sad!

celebs are humans , they say human thing and every one has put their foot in their mouth once in a while, i found this funny because i thought the same thing when both my children turned 1, i truly feel i single handley kept them alive all by my self by just sheer willpower, but i understand that maybe just maybe if i had lost a child this post may not be so funny but i doubt it would offend me in any way,

and please before you start screaming that your allowed to say your opinion , of course you are but their are bigger things going on in the world, it was a joke . let.it.go.

- hayley on April 5th, 2010

the headline is misleading, if you know nothing about this family, but his comments seem pretty innocent to me. i haven’t lost a child, so perhaps i see it differently, but i took it like this: birthdays are a way to celebrate being alive. because their son is so young and won’t remember it, the first birthday is one to celebrate the parents making it through the first year. i don’t know,though…
as for his drunk comments: i don’t recall him saying it was funny. he was just recounting what happened (his wife went into labor earlier than expected, and he’d happened to have gone out after work the night before and had some to drink.) obviously, he recalled it in a humorous manner-he was on a talk show! he wouldn’t start lecturing or being super-serious on that kind of setting.

- noam on April 5th, 2010

I’ ve always thought that the reason we had birthday parties was to celebrate that we survived another year. and i’m sorry that people thought that this was an insensitve thing for him to say, but he IN NO WAY said that u were a failure and you may think that this next statement is also insensitive, but if you’re thinking that, you may need to speak to someone about that. im not trying to be mean, im just being honest.

- Lisa on April 5th, 2010

Thanks Lisa, are you a doctor? I think your heartless. Not trying to be mean, just honest. Seriously think before you speak and definitely before you diagnose someone on a public forum. By the way we still recognize and celebrate our child’s birthday and she is no longer alive. So no birthdays are not just for “hey I’m alive, look at me. I’m such a kick ass person” Give me a break. That’s it. I’m not respoding anymore. Only a person who has lost a child would understand how a poor choice of words can be hurtful to others.

- Christy on April 5th, 2010

Actually christy, lisa is right. If you think you’re a failure because your child died then you do need help. That is not a mean thing to say at all, its about saying that you have experienced something very terrible and as a human being you need support. And no the ability to empathise does not only occur for those who have been through the experience.

Also I want to point out that some of you seem to think that he was making a joke out of a child’s death. You need to actually read what he said because the only person he spoke about was his child and the fact that he is still alive. He didn’t say anything about other people and/or their child’s death.

As for the comments that Scott said he was drunk at his child’s delivery and thought it was funny, please go back and actually read the story because he said he was drunk the night BEFORE and the delivery didn’t happen on schedule. He was hungover and had to unexpectedly get to the hospital.

- steph on April 5th, 2010

Pregnant people can’t be visibly happy that they are pregnant, lest they upset someone who can’t get pregnant. People just can’t be happy anymore just in case someone else isn’t happy. I hated feeling that I couldn’t show my excitement over being pregnant because I knew a few women in my office had recently miscarried and they snarled at me when they found out. Those women made me feel like I had to hide my pregnancy and not to speak about my child after she was born. Didn’t get to display pics at my desk. I didn’t even get to bring her in to work because those women complained. Do you women like making others feel like that? Why do you people insist on taking away others’ joy? When fertility-challenged people finally have a child, is it then ok for them to celebrate openly? Are they the only ones who get to feel happiness? By the way, I had no milk and I didn’t know it, so I accidentally almost starved my daughter. On her first birthday, you bet I celebrated the fact that I KEPT HER ALIVE because I almost didn’t.

- dd on April 5th, 2010

The guy was clearly joking. Those who can’t see it as such should consider not hanging around a blog devoted to children and babies. You are bound to get offended.

- Kat on April 5th, 2010

He doesn’t know you or your situation. Every time a celebrity opens his/her mouth, s/he can’t take into account what might offend or frighten or incense a random person who might read or hear about his statements. Everyone has made a flip statement that may have offended and hurt someone unintentionally and this particular one hit the nerves of those of you who have children with special needs or who have had children pass away. Scott Wolf is merely joking about his own luck to have had a healthy child who has made it to this point, regardless of the mistakes he didn’t mention that he or his wife have made.

While I empathize with your losses and fears, you could have skipped the story. Choosing to come to CBB where most of the stories are going to necessarily be about healthy, wealthy children living fantastic lives then complaining about what you read here is a bit masochistic. Your pain is never going to go away, but you don’t have to increase the chances of feeling the pinch of others’ happiness about their children by seeking out stories like this one.

- Jen DC on April 5th, 2010

That video is super funny, I am glad I could watch it again after reading the comments on this page!

- Karen on April 5th, 2010

noam and steph- I agree! Scott never said he thought it was funny that he was drunk the night before his son was born.

- CelebBabyLover on April 6th, 2010

i dont understand what the fuss is about, Its the same as all humans celebrating their birthdays, we celebrate another year of being alive, lots of things happen inbetween your last and your present birthday, c’mon ppl lighten up, i dont even think he was joking, he was stating what everybody is thankful for everytime someone turns a year older.

- True on April 6th, 2010

When I read his comments about keeping his son alive I honestly thought their child had some sort of serious sickness and it was a big milestone to make it to one year. Poor choice of words on his part considering he has a healthy child.

- Lorus on April 6th, 2010

Scott Wolf rarely drinks and he certainly not “drunk” the night before his son was born. Nor was he hungover when he arrived at the hospital. I know because I am his mom and I was there.

Does anybody check to see if they are passing false information about decent people?

- Susan on March 13th, 2011