Tiffany Selzer/Tiny and Brave, Tiffany Selzer, tinyandbrave.com.au, Magic Mike Live
Serenading his newborn son Keanu with the Temptations classic My Girl, chart-topping Kiwi musician Josh Williams laughs, “He likes this one! When he was born, I started singing it and he couldn’t
stop watching me.”
When Josh, 36, speaks to Woman’s Day, it’s just four weeks since gorgeous Keanu arrived in a “terrifying” birth, and Josh and his Aussie wife Diana are excited to see what performance genes the little one inherits.
“Diana’s the most amazing dancer, and I sing and dance, so there’s got to be some creative talent in there!” says Josh, before pointing out the bub’s receding hairline and joking that he looks like a
“cute old man”.
Lounging at their family home in Melbourne, Josh has come a long way since he last talked to us from Miami, where he was performing seductive stripteases for adoring US crowds in Channing Tatum Presents: Magic Mike Live The Tour.
He and Diana, 32, met while starring in Disney musical The Lion King in Australia. “Our energy just clicked,” recalls Josh, who also has 12-year-old son Ryder from a previous relationship. “We didn’t even go on a date – we just fell in love at work.”
After getting engaged in lockdown in 2020, then tying the knot in early 2022, he and Diana began trying for a family. Shortly after Josh left for Miami, his wife discovered she was pregnant.
Of getting the news, Josh remembers, “I was in rehearsals and stunned. I froze, then went back into rehearsals feeling like a new person. I felt lighter!”
The singer wants a different upbringing for his son than he had.
Following a smooth pregnancy, Diana was induced two days in a row, but there was no progress. Then Keanu began holding his breath and doctors briefly lost his heartbeat. Josh recalls, “Five nurses ran in and you know it’s serious when nurses run. I was freaking out.”
Adds Diana, “It was the longest few moments of my life – terrifying!”
But after an emergency Caesarean, it was “incredible” holding Keanu, she says. In that moment, Josh reaffirmed his priorities.
“I thought about how I’m going to be present,” he says. “My priority now is teaching him all my lessons and being the best father. I want to be there when he needs me and want him to feel loved. I want to make things right.”
Josh’s desire stems from his rocky upbringing in South Auckland. His mum Yvonne divorced his father Harry when Josh was 12. As Harry became less involved in parenting, Josh struggled without a strong male role model.
While he later found fame as artist “J Williams”, releasing hits such as You Got Me (with Scribe) and Takes Me Higher (featuring Dane Rumble), he often felt lost. Following Ryder’s birth, he faced allegations of abuse from his ex, which led to public backlash and saw him plunge into a “really dark” place.
Having rebuilt his life abroad, Josh doesn’t see Aotearoa-based Ryder as much as he’d like, but he hopes to introduce him to Keanu soon.
Meanwhile, Keanu’s already met grandmother Yvonne, who flew over from Westport, and Josh’s Melbourne-based sisters.
Josh and Diana started trying for a baby after their 2022 wedding.
Diana’s family is also nearby, and the support system recently allowed Josh and Diana to enjoy their first date night since welcoming Keanu, whose name is a nod to Keanu Reeves, the star of Josh’s favourite film, The Matrix.
“Our bond’s different now,” says Diana. “This is a whole human we created together, who we’ll share forever. Even though we don’t get as much time together, he connects us.”
Having moved into their new home, Josh is proud of providing Keanu with an upbringing that’s more stable than his modest Manurewa childhood. He shares, “I used to sleep in a little bedroom with no heater and just a radio playing Mai FM. I look at everything we’ve created and think, ‘Far out – you did it!’ I’ve got a healthy boy and an amazing wife.”
“He’s an amazing dad,” adds Diana. “Keanu will grow up being able to talk to him about anything because Josh has learned to be vulnerable and open with his feelings.”
Learning to express his emotions hasn’t come easy for Josh, who sees a therapist to help him navigate stress. He admits, “I was afraid to even say the word ‘anxiety’ because it gave me anxiety, but when you say it, it helps release it. Meditation also helps.”
With a new Magic Mike Live contract pending, Josh is meanwhile recording new music, playing gigs, starting a cabaret show and dreams of having a Bruno Mars tribute show on a cruise ship.
He hopes the obstacles he’s faced help teach Keanu about resilience.
“I hope my story shows him adversity will always be there. You’ll always hit speed bumps and you can either play the victim or use them as fuel to push forward. Life will have ups and downs, but the downs make you stronger.”
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