Congrats, Slater! It's a girl! Mario Lopez, former 'Saved by the Bell' hero who now hosts the syndicated entertainment news show 'Extra,' is a daddy.
His girlfriend, Broadway dancer Courtney Laine Mazza, delivered their first child, Gia Francesca Lopez, on Saturday in Burbank, Calif., according to 'Extra.' Little Gia arrived weighing 6 lbs., 4 oz., and both mother and baby girl are reportedly doing fine.
"We are so overjoyed. What an amazing, wonderful and overwhelming experience to welcome our daughter into the world," Lopez said. (Take a peek at the baby's posh new nursery
here.)
VH1 has been prepping a reality series about the TV star's new adventures in fatherhood. On Friday, Lopez
tweeted: "
They want to call the VH1 show 'Mario Lopez: Saved by the Baby'. Makes me laugh when I say it out loud which is good since the show's funny."
Back in May, Lopez told PopEater that Mazza's pregnancy was eye-opening enough to make him contemplate another bold new career move: Writing a parenting book for first-time dads.
"I was actually looking for a book for a first-time father and couldn't find one," he said. "I've decided I'm going to write one of my own. Guys want to help, too. There are tons of book for moms, but dads want to know what's going on with the lady and the baby, both emotionally and physically." Lopez, 36, is the author of a weight-loss guide, 'Extra Lean.'
The new parents reportedly began their romance in early 2009. They first met after Lopez (who dated his 'Dancing with the Stars' mentor Karina Smirnoff from 2006-'08, and was briefly married to Ali Landry in 2004) joined the Broadway production of 'A Chorus Line' in 2008 and was introduced to Mazza, a member of the cast.
