Eva Mendes has opened up about the devastating loss her family experienced earlier this year, just 12 days before she gave birth to her second daughter.
In an interview with Latina magazine, the notoriously private actress said: 'Losing my brother (Carlos) brought our family closer, and we were already close to begin with.
'So to just see everybody be there for one another and show up, I feel so lucky to have them. And then they were there for me when Amada was born,' she added.
According to the Hitch star – who has two children with fellow actor Ryan Gosling – her brother Carlos died of throat cancer on 17 April days before she gave birth to her daughter Amada on 29 April.
'We had a funeral service for (Carlos) and that same week I had the baby.
'So it was really, really intense and obviously beyond heart-breaking, but also kind of beautiful,' she added.
The brave mother-of-two kept quiet about her family's loss at the time but shared a solitary image of her with Carlos on Instagram along with a heart emoji.
Surprisingly, the 42-year-old was able to keep her second pregnancy quiet from the spotlight until weeks before the birth.
However, despite overcoming an emotionally turbulent start to the year, the actress admits she still hasn't been able to process everything she's gone through.
'Right now it's really about surviving those nights and trying to enjoy this time as much as possible with them, and start the bond between Esmeralda and Amada.
'It's a really, really special time. I'm loving it,' she added.
Eva Mendes – an inspirational to us all.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
