Congratulations are in order for Zooey Deschanel

She'll be able to cast her own production of the Lion King soon

zooey deschanel's new son
(Image credit: Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock)

She'll be able to cast her own production of the Lion King soon

It was announced yesterday that Zooey Deschanel and her producer husband, Jacob Pechenik, have welcomed their second child, with the New Girl actress giving birth to a baby boy last week in a Los Angeles hospital.

‘Zooey, Jacob and their daughter Elsie are overjoyed to welcome the newest member of their family’, Zooey's publicist told PEOPLE.

The couple already share daughter, Elsie Otter, born in 2015, so it's unsurprising therefore that their new-born son has a similarly unusual animal-inspired name, Charlie Wolf.

zooey deschanel's new son

(Image credit: Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock)

After Elsie’s birth in 2015, Ellen DeGeneres asked her what the reason was behind her animal-themed name. Zooey explained that she and her husband were both animal lovers and responded, ‘We were like, you know, the middle name can be a little wild.’

The private couple’s pregnancy news came to light last year when photos of the star's baby bump were snapped while she filmed New Girl. There’s no knowing how her pregnancy affected her hit FOX show, which has yet to be renewed for a seventh season. Regardless of the fate of the show, the last season finale has neatly wrapped up many of the series’ major plot lines (but you won’t find any spoilers here).

Congratulations to Zooey, Jacob and their little menagerie!

Megan C. Hills

Megan is a freelance journalist who covers entertainment and all things lifestyle, with a particular passion for fashion, beauty, travel and Keanu Reeves stories. She has previously worked on staff for titles including Marie Claire UK, CNN Style and The Evening Standard and has written for titles such as Bustle UK, Wallpaper*, Forbes and Hong Kong Tatler. She splits her time between London and her hometown Hong Kong, where she currently lives with the love of her life - an elderly dog named Poppy - and her husband.