The Challenge alum Ashley Cain has welcomed his second child, more than two years after the death of his baby girl.
The retired soccer star, who competed on the MTV competition series in 2019, announced the birth of his son Jan. 18. He had revealed last month that a longtime friend he had been seeing romantically told him she was pregnant with their child.
"Aliyas Diamond Cain - 16.01.24, 4:32am, 9lbs 3oz," the 33-year-old wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of his baby boy. "I will love you, appreciate you, guide you and protect you with all of my heart, for the rest of my life. & you will have the most beautiful guardian angel heaven holds watching over you and protecting you too."
The reality star and ex-girlfriend Safiyya Vorajee's daughter Azaylia Diamond Cain had died at age 8 months in April 2021 after a battle with leukemia, which her parents had documented on social media.
"Welcome to the world my son," Ashley wrote in his post. "May your body be strong, your mind be wise, your heart be loving and your spirit be pure and truly powerful."
He later explained the meaning behind his son's name, whose initials and middle and last names match those of his late daughter—a fact that drew criticism from several followers.
"What the letter 'A' holds is a family tradition, being the first letter of my father's and all of my uncles first names," he wrote in a comment. "The name 'Diamond' is from my grandma and their mother. It's our family name along with Cain, it's our Vincentian roots, all the way from our small island and from our great people."
Following the criticism, Ashley also issued a statement on his Instagram Stories, writing, "It has been a turbulent time as you can imagine. But one that has been worth all of the sticks, the stones and the storms that have come with it. I am a proud and loving father to both of my children and nothing will ever change that. So all that matters to me now is honoring my daughter in heaven and nurturing my son on earth. No matter what, MY KIDS COME FIRST. It's that simple."
Last month, Ashley shared his feelings about expecting a second child, a baby boy, revealing that he wanted to find out the sex of his second baby ahead of his due date.
"It could have been heartbreak all over again," he told The Sun in an emotional on-camera interview. "So when I found out I was having a little boy, not only did I think Azaylia would love a little brother, but it was probably slightly easier news to hear straight away."
Ashley told the newspaper that he spoke with his ex, with whom he split in 2022, about the pregnancy news. "I know that Safiyya would always support me and I will always be there to support Saffiya and so will my family," he said. "As you can imagine, it wasn't an easy conversation."
Saffiya later told The Sun in an interview posted Dec. 16 that Ashley had actually asked her to have another baby with him following their breakup but did not offer to get back together.
She continued, "I was ready to start again with him by my side, to welcome another child into this world and be the united family together, to make Azalia proud, so she could watch down on Earth and she could cheer us on."
She also recalled her reaction when Ashley told her he was expecting another child with another woman. "I was winded and I was taken by surprise and shock," she said. "I absolutely thought Ashley would come back to me."
Safiyya said she felt like she was "grieving all over again," saying, "It actually pained me to even think that I would have to tell [Azalia] that she's having another sibling but it's not from Mummy."
Ashley told The Sun in response to his ex's comments, "Safiyya and I have shared an intense emotional journey together since losing Azaylia. "When there are intense emotions involved, be that from loss, breakups or my recent baby announcement, recollection of events may vary. What has never varied is our mutual commitment to our daughter's foundation, which has never been stronger."