Robert Kraft, the 76-year-old billionaire owner of the New England Patriots, has dismissed reports that he welcomed a baby with 38-year-old girlfriend Ricki Noel Lander, stating that while she did have a baby, he is not the father.
Speculation arose this week when it emerged that Lander, who has been dating Kraft for about five years, gave birth last year, the New York Post's Page Six reported. The natural assumption was that Kraft fathered the child, but a Kraft spokesperson issued a statement denying biological paternity.
“Last fall, Ricki Noel Lander became the proud mother of a beautiful, healthy baby," the statement reads. "While Robert Kraft is not the biological father, he is thrilled with Ricki’s blessing of having a healthy child. With respect to her family’s privacy, we will not be commenting any further.”
Kraft, however, is “taking full care of Ricki and the baby,” sources told Page Six.
Kraft and Lander are currently still a couple, and appeared in public together recently at the 2018 Super Bowl and at the NBA All-Star Game. They're expected to attend Sunday’s Academy Awards together.
The pair has encountered their fair share of obstacles, though. According to The Boston Globe, they've broken up and reconciled on several occasions over the years.
Lander reportedly lives in a Los Angeles mansion Kraft owns.
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