Zoe Saldana & Marco Perego welcome their third child, a son named Zen

'Live By Night' World premiere - Arrivals

Whenever I cover Zoe Saldana, I always have to remind myself that she’s still with Marco Perego. They always seemed like such an odd couple to me and I’ll admit it, I didn’t think they would last. They’re still truckin’ along though. They got married in 2013 and they welcomed their twin boys Cy Aridio and Bowie Ezio back in November 2015. Zoe’s pregnancy was apparently pretty difficult, and the birth was even harder. She’s spoken about it since then, how she really felt awful after giving birth and she struggled for months. I tended to think that those two boys would be her only children. But apparently they wanted a third, so they did… something. And now Zoe and Marco are parents again, to their third son, a boy named Zen. Zoe posted this Instagram:

The photos of Zoe, below, in black are from Friday. She obviously wasn’t pregnant and she didn’t give birth recently. My guess is surrogacy, and my belief is that it’s her business. She doesn’t owe us an explanation, although more than a few bloggers and entertainment journalists were surprised by this Instagram.

As for the name… does anyone remember that British TV series Zen, about a detective in Rome? The guy was named Zen and the series was called Zen and the guy was played by Rufus Sewell. I think there were only like two or three episodes? But it was a good show and I really liked it and I wish they had made more. I did think it was a weird name for a detective series though. And I think it’s a strange name for a baby, but so be it. Zen sort of fits with Cy and Bowie.

Los Angeles Confidential Celebrates Winter Issue With Cover Star Zoe Saldana

Los Angeles Confidential Celebrates Winter Issue With Cover Star Zoe Saldana

Photos courtesy of WENN.

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49 Responses to “Zoe Saldana & Marco Perego welcome their third child, a son named Zen”

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  1. Maya says:

    Congratulations to her and her husband – a child is always a wonderful addition to a family.

  2. Patricia says:

    Zen. Nope. Should have just named him “tryhard”. It’s the kind of name that parents give when they want to be the hippest ones and have no regard for the fact that this is a person’s NAME.

    My two cents. Happy for the family though!

  3. Rainbow says:

    Why are you calling them an odd couple? I am just asking because I don’t know much about them.
    Looks wise, they look pretty well-matched to me. She’s beautiful, he’s hot, they are both young. Maybe I am missing something…

    • Ramona says:

      I know. They look perfect together. So hot. The sex is probably incredible. And Zoe is hardly a conventional Blake Lively type, baking and being prim. Sure she is also not HBC eccentric but she is clearly not marching to the mainstream drum beat either.

    • Original T.C. says:

      I too always view them as odd. Unlike the other couples people use that term for (*cough*mixed race couples they hate because they are mixed race *cough*), I mean they literally look odd to me. He looks hot and scruffy, someone I would match to like a Lisa Bonet type. Someone who can be out in the rain and not worry about his clothes being messed up. Whereas Zoe seems more uptown, uptight, prissy.

      He always seems like a sheepish lap dog following his owner around as she yanks his leach tighter. She and B-coop on the other hand looked more like a regular well matched couple.

    • dodgy says:

      I think the guy used to be a soccer player in Europe (not that great, tbh) and then he came to America and became an artist (his work is pretty obscure though, and I don’t know how he gets by) whereas she’s this actor who does a fair bit of mainstream work.

  4. Danielle says:

    I don’t mind zen. I mean, you can hardly have Cy Bowie and matthew.

  5. Ayra. says:

    I actually like Zen as a name…much better than Cy anyway. And it does fit with all of their names. Speaking of Cy, how do you pronounce his name? Is it like “sigh” or..

  6. Cool Character says:

    Cy,Bowie, and Zen. They all go together at least

    • LadyT says:

      Really? To me they were picked out of three entirely different baskets. Cy is an old man, Bowie is a cowboy and Zen is from the hippydippy basket.

  7. Shambles says:

    Lol. Zen is my cat’s name

  8. Tiffany27 says:

    She bugs, but congratulations to her and her family.

  9. BJ says:

    Actress Tisha Campbell Martin and Duane Martin named their son Xen (pronounced Zen).He is 15 now
    As for Zoe and her husband they could have used a surrogate or they could have adopted.

  10. Lala says:

    Omg she’s beginning to look like Jada Pinket Smith! Am I right? Congrats and hot hubby. Well played Zoe

  11. An says:

    I can’t with those names. I want to but I can’t.

  12. QQ says:

    10 out of 10 would watch the sex tape of these two .. on mute though, she’s bound to say something annoying!

    Also God bless on the kid, no shade but also shade a little- cause Lord knows if I had money and a desire for kids (neither of which i do) but is it a weee Bit squeaky to anyone how its becoming the province of the wealthy to essentially surrogate themselves a convenient pregnancy??

    • Tata says:

      Yeah…on the last part. I don’t know how to have a discussion about it on ethical or philosophical grounds, i just have uncomfortable emotions.

      • QQ says:

        I feel the same way Tata, nothing I can articulate well just squeakiness about it becoming a thing seemingly?

        @BJ Duh! Not the same thing, not by any stretch so dont try it, this isn’t what im saying nor am i Talking about the “legitimacy” of being a mom/child Under these circumstances and as other posters said she doesn owe us the explanation nor do we know what is her health status, all Im saying is that seeing rich pin thin women more and more frequently be it over things like age/health/ and even a Dylan Lauren pretty much saying “Meh” I got a business to run .. It reads off/uncomfortable/like we are on a new motherhood frontier…. And That said is still not my actual necessary business how the next woman makes a baby, we can still talk about a Thing that Is -Surrogacy such as it were trending upwards

      • Tata says:

        All the same QQ….

        I agree saldana owes us no explanation.

        Just an example though – what if kardashian had done this? bc she had placental issues her first pregnancy, was also at risk in her second pregnancy. Would she have been judged for having surrogacy?

        Or what if she said, I cannot do it, my body is my career. I just lost baby weight and cannot put it back on.

        What if a working class mom would like option of surrogacy because she literally cannot afford to take time off of work for financial concerns and wants to save as much money for the new kid as possible?

        I cannot help but think of case of sofia vergara and her ex.

        would it start to become more common for shared custody to mean of the implantation material rather than a baby?

        just questions not judgments.

      • Imqrious2 says:

        It just seems like it’s becoming too “Handmaiden”-ish for me.

      • QQ says:

        EVERYTHING you said Tata and Also imQrious THAT! i saw something recent in Vice News (and Death sex and money recently podcasted as well but from a Lady in the States) about I believe Indian Poorer women being contracted (at a Much cheaper rate mind you!) by American couples to do this sort of thing which I guess supply and demand but there is an ethical side to the whole thing and such.

      • Tata says:

        Yes Imqrious and QQ! It is a handmaiden tale thing.

        I have relatives in lesser developed countries, they make $2-$3K a year and rely on extended family to make ends meet since there is no government social safety net. Health care is pretty poor.

        Are WOMEN under those kind of dire income circumstances really free to say no when it seems as though carrying a baby to term could easily make enough for their family and inlaws to drastically change their standard of living?

        Also, OKlahoma lawmakers are now trying to say a woman’s body is not her own when she is pregnant, because she is a ‘host’ and men have joint ownership of the womb. That is, if she gets pregnant,she needs his permission to get an abortion. They say she gave up rights once she decided to have sex.

        Wth. You cannot make this crap up.

        I am scared and do not know how to have this conversation.

    • BJ says:

      Do you feel the same way about adoption? Adoptive parents like Sandra Bullock,Charlize, etc get the baby without having the inconvenient pregnancy.

      • WTW says:

        @BJ Adoption and surrogacy aren’t comparable. Adoptive parents are taking in children who are already born and in need of a home. With surrogacy, you are creating a life through IVF and having another woman carry the embryo to term. And while you can avoid the “inconvenience of pregnancy,” you still have to endure harsh fertility drugs to produce eggs and surgery requiring anesthesia to harvest them. So, there is still some degree of “inconvenience” with the surrogacy process if a woman is using her own eggs, which I’m guessing Zoe did. I am not judging Zoe because I don’t know why she chose surrogacy. She mentioned having health problems after the twins were born. But people don’t generally adopt children to avoid pregnancy, unless there is a known health issue. Both women you named, Sandra and Charlize, were single women when they adopted. Well, I guess Sandra was in the middle of splitting from Jesse James. Sandra was also in her mid-40s and may not have been able to get pregnant (or a surrogate pregnant) with her own eggs. Adoption is the decision to take in a non-biological child and love and raise her as your own. I think it takes an immense amount of courage and people don’t adopt because they view pregnancy as an inconvenience. Obviously, many people who adopt can’t conceive on their own, don’t have a partner, etc.

    • KLO says:

      I have read on the internet that Zoe developed serious health issues after her first pregnancy (thyroid etc). So I am not surprised if they used a surrogate. Nothing to be ashamed about.

    • lucy2 says:

      If it was truly just for convenience, I agree with you, but it’s quite possible there were some medical reasons why they went this route, if she had a hard time with her previous pregnancy. Also, it’s possible they adopted, I don’t think it says for sure.

  13. Tata says:

    I was coming here to comment i didn’t know she was pregnant again. Mazel tov!

  14. original kay says:

    Congrats to Zoe “give trump a chance!” Saldana, and family!

  15. RuddyZooKeeper says:

    *raises hand* I remember that show! I laughed so hard when Zen’s boss’s desk broke! Sigh. Rufus Sewell.

  16. sapphire211 says:

    My grandfather’s name was Zenon, and my uncle was Zenon, and everyone referred to them as “Zen.” It is actually an old Polish name. 🙂 She probably doesn’t know that though! 😉

  17. nemera34 says:

    If you want a family; build it however you are able. I think this is a beautiful thing. She is not complaining about anything just making her family with her husband. This is what many women/men are doing.

    Congrats

  18. Joni says:

    So they used a surrogate?

  19. Tania says:

    Congrats to them, the children are all adorable. How your family comes to be is your business. I’m not judging. And yes, I totally remember that show Zen! It was awesome and I can’t believe they only did one season.

  20. smcollins says:

    Congrats to them! I’m sure the twins are excited to gain a little brother.

  21. Donna says:

    It’s no one’s business how anyone chooses to build their family. Wishing them continued happiness with all of their children.

    • justwastingtime says:

      Well said, Donna.

      As some one who has both birthed and adopted a child (feel that same about both of my children) no matter how you get there, it’s a leap of faith. I too, wish them well and celebrity or friend, would never presume to question their choices.

      Welcome to the world, Zen.

  22. Alexandria says:

    If a surrogate was treated fairly, with compassion and compensated fairly, I don’t see what’s unethical. As many as there are accounts that pregnancy was wonderful, there are also accounts that pregnancy was not easy and for some, threatening. You don’t have to use the word inconvenient even. You can love kids but you can also acknowledge that pregnancy involves planning around your life and career. Comparing it to adoption is not exactly the same equivalence. Some folks do yearn to have their own genes carried forward, nothing wrong with that, just as there’s nothing wrong with adoption. The technology is there, use it and concentrate on efforts to support female surrogates fairly instead.