On December 5, 2022, Anthony Rapp and Ken Ithiphol announced the birth of their son, Rai Larson, via surrogacy. That was only two months after the actor had concluded his court case against Kevin Spacey for alleged sexual harassment – thus being a particularly difficult moment for Rapp.
And yet, Rai has been a beacon of light to new parents Rapp and Ithiphol. During an interview with People, the star of Star Trek: Discovery noted that he thought parenthood would “pass him by” as the years went on. Alas, three-month-old Rai has been “making more noise lately, just cooing and chatting,” and Rapp is living for every new moment in his son’s life.
When reflecting on the “profound” timing of Rai’s birth, Rapp explained:
“To really close the chapter on [the Spacey lawsuit] and to do so knowing that Rai was coming… to say this was a light at the end of the tunnel is an understatement.”
Ithiphol told People that he messaged Rapp on Facebook after seeing the actor in a touring production of the musical If/Then. A friendly conversation turned into something more romantic, and the two men started to date in January 2016.
More than three years later, Rapp and Ithiphol got engaged in November 2019. They went on to start the surrogacy process in 2021, which ultimately resulted in Rai’s birth toward the end of 2022. According to Ithiphol, the lockdown “really launched us into taking that first step, which really helped us tap into that deeper longing to figure out how to make it happen.”
As Rapp gets more and more acquainted with parenthood, he is getting ready to close another chapter in his career: the final season of Star Trek: Discovery, which is scheduled to air in 2024.
Rapp and Ithiphol are growing a beautiful family, and we’ll always be cheering them on!
Star Trek: Discovery is streaming on Paramount+.