Immediately after the United States was eliminated from the World Cup came the announcement that a woman had come forward and said she was pregnant and that Landon Donovan was the father. Apparently Landon and the woman had a brief relationship while he was on loan to Everton in the Premier League.
At the time, Landon said he would make sure the baby was taken care of if the baby turned out to be his. What made all of this awkward is that he was trying to get back with his wife, Bianca Kajilich, so that conversation must have been tough.
Last night at the ESPY Awards he told E! that he is not going to be a dad after all and he is really happy about it.
"I actually wasn't sure I was going to asked but I know now that I will not be a dad any time soon, which is good news for me," Donovan said. "You just broke the story."
You know what though? Even though the child is not his, he stood up and said that if the baby was his he would take care of the baby. No denials, no hard to get, he took responsibility. You cannot ask for more than that.
You can ask that he doesn't impregnate women he has no intention of forming a family with.
ReplyDeleteThere is more to raising a child than sending child support payments. There's the whole being a "father" thing.
I agree with you Enty - in this day and age of denial, it's refreshing to see someone take responsibility.
ReplyDeleteShmooey - he apparently didn't impregnate someone he didn't want to have a family with. Sometimes birth control fails though. Sometimes, even responsible people end up accidentally pregnant.
ReplyDeleteI think it would've been awkward to talk to his wife about, but they were actually very much separated when this happened, weren't they?
Sure, contraception is not 100% effective.
ReplyDeleteHe did impregnate someone he did not want to constitute family with.
He had a "brief" relationship with the woman. He doesn't know if she would be a good mother. They live in different countries.
His original statement intimated that he would be there for the child financially - that's not having a family.
i'm not quite so charitable enty...how about not putting himself in that position to begin w/? how about not cheating on his wife and causing her all that pain? i respect him as an athlete, and i love it that he's mr. bilingual...but he's still a cheating dirtbag, and that's never ok, no matter how much you own up.
ReplyDeleteIf I remember from earlier stories, he and his wife were separated at the time, so he wasn't cheating. And Shmooey, I'm not understanding your last post. He didn't impregnate someone with whom he wasn't planning a family. Who knows what happened. I think you guys are assuming way too much. But I do give the guy credit for stepping up.
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ReplyDeleteKaty, what's not to understand?
ReplyDeleteSome woman he had sex with got pregnant. He said if it was his, he'd recognise the baby and support it.
Now he knows it's not his and quote, "it's good news for me", unquote.
His relief says it all.
Children deserve to be wanted by their parents.
Yes, children get conceived by "accident". It's not the end of the world.
It's also far from ideal.
That child would not have had his father present in his/her life because the man lives in another country, is married to another woman, and would be supporting the child out of sheer duty.
Him not denying the possibility of being the child's father and not dragging his feet in pledging his support is the very bare minimum he could do for any child of his, not some grand, noble gesture of magnanimity.
That's the point I am making.
@Shmooey,"You can ask that he doesn't impregnate women he has no intention of forming a family with."
ReplyDeleteCan women not be responsible for birth control either? It works both ways.
separated is not divorced. just wait till you get the decree before you screw around, that could prevent alot of these situations. and the children are the ones who always suffer, always.
ReplyDelete@Becki: Are you saying it's not his fault she got pregnant, because it was the woman's job to make sure she took care of birth control?
ReplyDeleteEverybody who has sex and doesn't want to conceive has to take precautions, that goes for every single person.
Well, apparently he did take precautions, and it worked, b/c he didn't get the woman pregnant. So how on earth can we judge him? (aside from the whole separated/married/divorced thing)
ReplyDeleteI've had protected sex before. I think it's too much to ask that someone not have sex at all unless they're ready for a family. Come on.
and @shmooey "his relief says it all." I'm relieved every month my birth control works and I end up not pregnant. Yay for birth control!
ReplyDelete@heatherhug LOL, that one had me rolling! thanks
ReplyDeleteWhether he, or she, or they took contraceptive measures or not is irrelevant.
ReplyDeleteMy point, which I thought I had explained well enough, is that there is a prevalent notion that it was some extraordinary act of manly honour to publicly declare he would be willing to recognise the child.
And I'm saying he did nothing more than his duty, and it warrants no special praise.
If that's all one can expect from a father and nothing more, it seems the expectations have been set deplorably low.
@shmooey. You're right, the expectations are deplorably low. I'm so used to male celebs/athletes denying, denying, denying, only to have the paternity test come up "you ARE the father!" and then fighting any significant child support. Here at least he said "Well, I did bang her, so anything is possible, and I'll pony up some cash." Not exactly amazing by human standards, but by celeb/athlete standards, A+++.
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ReplyDeleteExactly.
ReplyDeleteWhen there's another soccer player being accused of murdering a woman for the exact same reason, Landon's mere willingness to do what he should shines like a beacon of rectitude, by comparison.
Okay - I get what you are saying, Shmooey. I agree - just stepping up financially for a child that might be his is not that big of a deal. It should be expected. By and for everyone.
ReplyDeleteI just got hung up on the not having a child he didn't want part. 'Cause honestly, I use protection, I don't want kids, but I sure as shoot ain't going to stop having sex!
As for waiting until divorced before sleeping with someone new? Divorces take a really, really, really long time some places. The waiting period in Maryland is one year. I wouldn't wait a whole year plus however long it took me to file before dating anyone else.
Okay - I get what you are saying, Shmooey. I agree - just stepping up financially for a child that might be his is not that big of a deal. It should be expected. By and for everyone.
ReplyDeleteI just got hung up on the not having a child he didn't want part. 'Cause honestly, I use protection, I don't want kids, but I sure as shoot ain't going to stop having sex!
As for waiting until divorced before sleeping with someone new? Divorces take a really, really, really long time some places. The waiting period in Maryland is one year. I wouldn't wait a whole year plus however long it took me to file before dating anyone else.
He and his wife have actually been separated for two years. Both have dated other people. Bianca said at the ESPYs that they are still very much separated and she was there for support only. He wasn't cheating. However... what kind of stupid person has unprotected sex in this day and age? Dumb. And it must've been unprotected if he ever thought that there was a chance the kid was his.
ReplyDeletedavid spade did the same thing as soon the (wasn't she a playboy model?) woman pointed the finger at him. he hasn't reneged and last i saw they were even still dating.
ReplyDeleteit actually is a stand up thing to do. husbands go to court demanding dna tests trying to get out of child support, so to say right up front he'd take care of the child, that's a decent guy.
in a perfect world, it wouldn't be a big deal. and, maybe he'll double wrap next time ;)