Sasha Alexander Welcomes Son Leonardo Fortunato

Amy Graves/Getty

It’s a boy for Rizzoli & Isles star Sasha Alexander.

The actress and her husband, writer/director Edoardo Ponti, welcomed a son, Leonardo Fortunato Ponti, on Monday, Dec. 20 in Geneva, Switzerland, her rep tells PEOPLE exclusively.

Leonardo joins big sister Lucia Sofia, 4½. “We are so thrilled to welcome our little Leonardo. He’s a wonderful gift and we are all in love — especially the grandmas!” the couple said in a statement.

Alexander, 37, and Ponti — who is the son of screen legend Sophia Loren — wed in Aug. 2007.

She currently stars opposite Angie Harmon on the new TNT series based upon Tess Gerritsen’s popular novels.

– Sarah Michaud with reporting by Julie Jordan

Comments

Congratulations to Sasha and Edoardo! Way to be stealthy about this!

I love the name. Thought it’d be another girl, so a boy’s kinda surprising.

- klutzy_girl on January 10th, 2011

aw how i sweet. i like the name leonardo.

- JM on January 10th, 2011

Aww – congrats! I loved her on NCIS and now on Rizzoli and Isles. And I like how both her kids’ first and middle names rhyme. It makes them flow well.

- miche on January 10th, 2011

Congrats! I love her on Rizzoli and Isles

- melissa on January 10th, 2011

I don’t normally like rhyming names, but these seem to really work. Congrats to the new mama and happy family.

- Michelle on January 10th, 2011

Great name! Hope the little one is indeed fortunate his entire life.

- Mira on January 10th, 2011

These names are Italian and in Italy most boy names end in -o and girls’ with -a. Therefore in that sense most names “rhyme” If you consider Lucia and Sofia or Leonardo and Fortunato a rhyme!

- Kewky on January 10th, 2011

hi, i’m italian i live in italy and I can assure you that the name in italian don’t ryhme… (sorry for my english..).

- iva on January 10th, 2011

YAY! Congrats to them.

- Jorder on January 10th, 2011

Congratulations to Sasha, Edoardo and Lucia! I love the name too. Sasha is GREAT on Rizzoli & Isles! Can’t wait for it to come back this summer

- Kara on January 10th, 2011

!!! Congrats to the new parents !!!! ( for a second time ) im sure close family and friends are also thrill with the news

- Elba on January 10th, 2011

Congratulations to the family!! This surprised me – I was certain the baby would be another girl, for some reason. But how lovely! He must have been the perfect early Christmas present.

- Bella on January 10th, 2011

OMG, LOVE it — what a strong name!!!

- Shoshana on January 10th, 2011

Congratulations, it’s funny she gave birth in Geneva for both kids, why ? Don’t they live in LA !

- karine on January 10th, 2011

karine- how is it funny? i wish i could deliver my kids in other places, just for the hell of it.

- Anonymous on January 10th, 2011

karine- Maybe she’s Swiss? Anyway, congrats to them!

- CelebBabyLover on January 11th, 2011

karine – They were married in Geneva and that’s also where Edoardo’s from and where Sophia Loren currently lives so maybe that’s why the children were born there. Also, it doesn’t say anywhere she mostly lives in L.A., maybe they mostly reside in Geneva and she’s in L.A. when she’s filming something.

Anyway, congratulations to Sasha, Edoardo and Lucia!

- Kaisa on January 11th, 2011

Congrats to them they seem lovely and i didn’t know Sofia Loren had a son! Not a fan of Fortunato though…

- Au-Roar-A on January 11th, 2011

Gorgeous Italian names for both children. Congratulations to them both.

- Giovanna on January 11th, 2011

Sasha really kept Leonardo’s birth a secret!! I was checking every day since she got to Switzerland to see if the baby had been born. Congratulations to Sasha and family! Love his name.

- tricia on January 11th, 2011

Sophia Loren had both of her sons in Switzerland. The family likes Geneva. It’s VERY quiet. No one bothers celebrities or even knows where they live and that’s exactly why they like it. (disclosure: I lived there for many years, but got out before being bored to death.)

- Joan on January 14th, 2011

I was thinking the same thing,Karine.They both work in L.A. and vacationed in Geneva.I guess is because he was born there.I don’t know,i have other take about this.When she was in NCIS,she said that she was having personal problems,long hours and it looks that he didn’t like it.Is different with R&I,only four month of filming.She said that she does not like confrontations,so that means,she will do all he wants her to do.He is always with her,even in interviews.I hope the kids have dual citizenship.I don’t know,i’ve been following Sasha for a long time,she doesn’t look like a woman who will do whatever other want,she is strong and assertive,but i can be mistaken.This my personal opinion about kids born in Geneva instead of US.I’m sure he is beautiful like her mom.You know,let’s asked her about this in twitter and see what she says.

- Robbie on January 17th, 2011