DWTS Semi-Finalist Shares Heartwarming Photo of Widowed Father

Heavy A DWTS alum shared a picture of her widowed father.

A new photo has the internet in its feels.

Two years after the death of her mother, Litsa Menounos, “Dancing With the Stars” alum Maria Menounos has welcomed a baby girl. One day after announcing the arrival of her daughter, Athena, Menounos shared a photo of her dad, Costa, who has become a grandfather for the first time.

The photo, which was taken as part of Menounos and her husband Keven Undergaro’s photoshoot and story for Us Weekly, shows Costa wearing a shirt that reads, “Papou. Like a regular grandpa, only much cooler.” Papou, in Greek, means “grandfather.”

“Awww crying over here. So happy for you,” one comment on Menounos’ post read.

“Congratulations, this just brought tears to my eyes. I had my son at 41 and my dad, Papou always said to my mom that he was a gift. He is gone five years, but I see signs from him all of the time. Many blessings to you all,” someone else wrote.

Here’s what you need to know:

Maria Menounos Said the Photo Is Her ‘Favorite’

Menounos and Undergaro welcomed their baby girl via surrogate after about a decade of trying to start a family together. Menounos has often talked about her parents’ desire for her to have a baby, and she is overjoyed to have her father around to experience being a granddad. Unfortunately, Litsa Menounos died following a battle with brain cancer in May 2021.

“My favorite photo ever. My mom and dad have been begging us for years. At first, I was too busy with my career and my dogs were my kids and I also did take care of my parents too. I was full. There was no room for a kid to fit,” Menounos captioned the post.

“Ivf cycles were in play after infertility was clear. Then life changed with brain tumors entering the picture for me and mom. Things slowed down a bit. We kept trying but the time was obviously not right. God had a plan. I always say patience and faith. Athena came at the time god intended for us. And Papou couldn’t be happier. And she adores him,” she continued.

“It’s my favorite thing to watch now. My dad and my daughter,” she added.

Maria Menounos Shared an Update on Baby Athena While Filling in for Kelly Ripa on ‘Live! With Kelly & Mark’

On July 20, 2023, Menounos was in New York to co-host “Live! With Kelly & Mark,” filling in for Kelly Ripa.

During the morning host chat, Menounos shared that Athena is “sleeping really well.”

“She’s amazing. She’s such a good baby. We’re just so overjoyed,” she added. She went on to say that she now understands what her dad was telling her for years.

“It’s like the greatest feeling in the world. I never knew when my dad would be like, ‘Maria, life is about kids and family,’ and I was so busy with my career and running around. Now, I get it. It really is. This is just the greatest feeling in the world,” she told Mark Consuelos.

Meanwhile, after confirming Athena’s birth, Menounos told E! News that her dad is so happy to be a grandfather.

“I am so excited to be a mom and Keven is so excited to be a dad! And my dad is over the moon to be a papou,” she told the outlet. Menounos has a framed photo of her mom in Athena’s room and will undoubtedly be telling her daughter all about her yiayia (“grandmother” in Greek).

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