Last week onInstagram Rachel Hunter and Rod Stewart’s son, ice hockey star Liam Stewart and his Californian wife, Nicole Artukovich Stewart, announced they would welcome their second child next year.
The McLaughlins announced their news with a video on Instagram in April. “Our greatest adventure yet. Baby girl arriving October 2024,” they wrote.
The video showed McLaughlin, 31, learning the news from Paone after returning home, also mixing in moments of their gender reveal of a baby girl and telling their family and friends.
Fellow Kiwi IndyCar driver Scott Dixon’s wife Emma wrote her congratulations on the post.
In May, Karly showed the couple enjoying a babymoon in The Turks and Caicos Islands on Instagram.
Since then Karly, with her burgeoning baby bump, has cheered Scott on his successful season on the IndyCar circuit in North America.
In June, Karly had a joint baby shower with a girlfriend in Long Island, New York.
At the anticipated IndyCar season finale in Tennessee this weekend, DJ superstar Diplo was announced as part of the celebrations. Karly told her Instagram followers she was disappointed as this weekend her racing maternity leave will have started.
The couple reportedly first met in 2016 in Las Vegas. McLaughlin proposed to Paone at Christmas in 2017 in her home state of New York.
Karly moved to Australia to live with Christchurch-raised McLaughlin, weeks after he won his maiden Bathurst, and they married at the end of 2019 in Malibu, California.
It is understood they will welcome their baby girl at their home base in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Stewarts have had a whirlwind of a year. They welcomed their first child, a son, Louie Mark Roderick Stewart, in May last year.
Two months later Stewart proposed to Artukovich.
At the end of May this year, the couple’s Croatian wedding made headlines worldwide with the Stewart and Hunter families coming together with Artukovich’s for stunning celebrations.
Stewart and Artukovich's wedding was a family affair. Photo / Instagram
Last weekend, Stewart and Artukovich posted a gorgeous video of the gender reveal of their second child.
“Little sister coming in March 2025,” they wrote.
The video showed 1-year-old Louie with pictures of the ultrasounds of Stewart and Artukovich’s new baby over his shoulder. In the reveal in their garden, Louie wore a onesie with “big brother” emblazoned on it and the three of them all watched pink confetti come out of their reveal.
Since the wedding, Hunter has travelled and worked in Europe and India and since July has enjoyed time in California with her grandson and family.
Last week, Hunter returned to New Zealand from Los Angeles in time to celebrate her 55th birthday on September 8.
It was also Liam’s 30th birthday on September 5, at which Hunter posted a lovely video montage dedicated to him on Instagram.
“Happy 30th Birthday! Love YOU all of this, father, husband, son, brother nephew, all your different funny, intelligent, stable, crazy, qualities. So blessed Am I as your mother Love you Son,” Hunter wrote.
Ricardo Simich is the Herald’s Spy editor. Based in Auckland he covers all roads that lead to popular culture.
