Robert Downey Jr.’s Wife Pregnant, Couple Confirms

The celebrity baby boom- including Jay-Z and Beyonce and Hillary Duff- just got a bit bigger with an announcement from Robert Downey, Jr. that he and wife Susan Downey are expecting their first child together.

The former bad boy actor- who suffered through some very lengthy and high-profile substance abuse issues from the mid-90’s through 2001- is becoming a dad for the second time. Downey, Jr.’s has a son Indio, 17, with actress Deborah Falconer, and the former couple share time with the teen.

Downey, Jr. has maintained sobriety since 2003, despite having once stated in court:

“It’s like I’ve got a shotgun in my mouth with my finger on the trigger, and I like the taste of the gun metal.”

The Sherlock Holmes star has spent significant time in prison and court ordered treatment programs, generally a death knell for a showbiz career. But Downey, Jr. seems to be proof positive that massive success is possible even after a big fall, and he has gone on to have huge hits with the Sherlock Holmes films as well as Iron Man and The Avengers.

The new baby announcement isn’t entirely unexpected. Last year, in an interview, the actor hinted at adding to his family and even said he hoped for a daughter:

“I think I will be wrist-deep in doo-doo within 18 months. I’m calling it right here… I think we should probably try to have a girl because I don’t want another male entity to have to compete. I don’t want Indio to feel there’s another boy in my life. But I don’t know what we’d have to do [to have a girl]. Do we have to put it in a spoon and hang it upside-down?”

A rep for Downey, Jr. and wife Susan said the couple “can’t wait to welcome this new baby into their wonderful family.”