Michael Phelps and Nicole Phelps Welcome Fourth Boy to the Family

Michael Phelps and Nicole Johnson Phelps have welcomed a fourth boy to their family!

Late in the evening on January 22, the Olympic swimmer and former Miss California introduced the world to the newest member of the Phelps family. “@mrs.nicolephelps and I wanna welcome Nico Michael Phelps to the world,” Phelps said. “Born on 1/16. We’re so blessed to be given a 4th child. We’re now a family of 6.”

Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky and professional football player JJ Watt sent their congratulations. “Congratulations - perfect 6.0 family,” added Olympic figure skating legend Michelle Kwan. Several fans and friends sounded off in the comments about how the Phelps had completed their own relay team with one fan writing, “Bro gonna watch his sons win gold in all the relays!”

In a November interview with Today, Johnson shared that baby number four would indeed be another boy. "I would have loved to have a daughter for Michael so he could have that father-daughter bond that I experienced growing up,” Nicole told the outlet. “But I strongly believe you’re given what you’re supposed to have, and I’m really excited to have another boy.

“Sometimes it’s difficult when people say, ‘Oh, you need that girl,’” she continued. “I’m like, ‘No, I really don’t.’ The sweetest thing is how genuinely excited the boys are to meet their brother. Having four boys will be crazy but wonderful.”

Johnson said it took her “some time to process” her “bonus baby.”

“After I took the test, I came out of the bathroom and Michael asked, ‘What’s wrong?’ He said, I looked like I had seen a ghost,” Johnson recalled. “He was ecstatic. Michael has been excited from the start.”

It’s not that Johnson isn’t excited too though, the mom of soon-to-be four explains that it’s just a bit to take on. “Listen, I’m a mom and I know how much work that it takes,” she explained. “I personally believe in pretty much sacrificing two years of my life to this new baby. But we are so excited. I don’t even want to call him a surprise because he is wanted. He’s the bonus we didn’t know we needed.”

Johnson first shared the big news on October 30, in a post celebrating the couple’s seven-year wedding anniversary. “A memory from Oct 29 over the last 7 years with you @m_phelps00 (I couldn’t find 2019s pic) Happy Anniversary to my best friend, hubby and partner thru life. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better,” Johnson wrote. “For those that are wondering… yes! we’re expecting our 4th Phelps in 2024.

Johnson’s confirmation comes a month after Phelps posted a carousel of photos featuring his wife sporting an apparent baby bump on the sidelines of a USC game. In the comments fans and friends sent their congratulations.

The most decorated Olympian of all time with 28 medals, Phelps and Johnson already share three sons: Boomer, 7, Beckett, 5 and Maverick, 3. Since welcoming their first son in 2016, the couple has shared their family’s journey from their sons’ first day of kindergarten and Pre-K to how they handle Phelps’ depression as a family.

Phelps told People in 2021 that he credits his family for helping him work through his depression, as their routines and rituals have helped curtail the effects. One such routine is their daily 5 p.m. family dinners.

“As a kid, I always wanted to have dinner as a family but with my parents separated, that didn’t happen often,” Michael told the outlet. “I love how we have dinner every night together at the same exact time.”

The 23-time gold medalist says he still struggles with mental illness but is determined to help his sons learn how to share and work through their feelings. “They talk about their emotions. It gives me a lot of hope. I just want them to be as prepared as they can be," he noted.

Johnson adds that when Phelps is having a particularly difficult day and “can’t get out of bed,” their children will "either try to be near him or they’ll question what he’s experiencing.”

“We don’t hide from emotions. We teach them that daddy or mommy is having a moment and we need to either give them space or ask if they want a hug,” she explained. “And that’s taught them they have permission for their feelings to be heard too.”

Our congratulations to the Phelps family of six!