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Jason KennedyandLauren Scruggs Kennedyare parents — again!
She is from Dallas, Texas
Jason Kennedy Instagram
Lauren was born in Dallas, Texas, on July 18, 1988. She grew up in the city, and in 2009, she graduated fromDallas Baptist Universitywith a bachelor’s degree in communications.
She continued to live and work in Dallas while dating Jason, who was based in L.A. However, the distance didn’t stop them from growing more committed in their relationship, and the two ultimately got engaged in her home state.
“We see each other pretty frequently,” Jason told PEOPLE in September 2013. “It’s going great. She’s amazing.”
She’s the founder of two companies
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Lauren foundedThe Stranded ShopandThe Lauren Scruggs Kennedy Foundation, entering her into the beauty industry as an advocate for amputees.
The Stranded Shop offers multiple products, from a dry shampoo free of dyes, sulfates, parabens and gluten to a hand sanitizer free of toxins and entirely vegan and natural.
After finding success with their own prostheses — Lauren lost her left hand and eye when she accidentally walked into a spinning plane propeller — she, along with two other female amputees, co-founded The Lauren Scruggs Kennedy Foundation, which provides funding for girls and women to receive “beautiful” prostheses. In 2015, with the help of the National Christian Foundation and ARTech Laboratory, they were able to secure funds to help others obtainsilicone cosmetic coveringsfor their prostheses.
She’s a lifestyle blogger
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Aside from being a mother, Lauren is a fashion blogger. Since interning with CW’sGossip Girland working at Michael Kors' showroom, she has had a knack for fashion. In 2017, she launched hereponymous blog, a space where she can share her “expertise” in healthy living and her devotion to clean beauty, fashion and nutritious recipes.
She lost her left eye and hand in a 2011 accident
Lauren Scruggs Kennedy Instagram
On Dec. 3, 2011, Lauren was in apropeller accidentin which she lost her left eye and hand. The accident occurred after she exited a single-engine plane at her friend’s McKinney, Texas, home and walked right into the aircraft’s spinning propeller.
“Now I focus on the progression of my life and who I am,” she told PEOPLE years later. “[It] was painful, but I’m thankful for what came out of it.”
After the accident, she wasn’t sure she would find love.
“I wondered if men would ever find me attractive again,” said Lauren, who appeared onPeople Icons: Heroes & Survivorson March 14, 2017. “There were days when I felt so ugly, and there still are days when I feel like that, but I ended up finding the love of my life.”
She said her husband often tells her that she’s “the most beautiful person he’s ever seen.”
“Jason is so aware of me and my feelings and my insecurities,” she said. “He’s there to help and encourage me and if I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, my eye looks bad today.’ He makes me feel so loved and beautiful the way I am. He encourages me constantly to be open about it all.”
Jason’s encouragement has inspired her to put that same energy toward other women who have experienced the loss of limbs.
“I always say to women that they are so beautiful on the outside and inside and when you look at yourself, you’re your worst critic. But don’t be,” she said.
She’s aNew York Timesbest-selling author
Lauren is the author of two books:Still Lolo, which tells the story of her accident and its aftermath, andYour Beautiful Heart, which explores issues young girls face, including self-worth, body image and mounting expectations.
She and Jason met in 2013
The couple haveGiuliana Rancic, Jason’s formerE!co-host, to thank for their introduction. In 2013, Rancic interviewed Lauren onE! Newsand told her during the show that she should meet Jason.
At first, Lauren did not know who he was, and Rancic told her about the “amazing Bible study in Los Angeles he had.”
“[Rancic] texted Jason and asked if he was going to be on set. When I was asking Giuliana about places to go hiking, she told me, ‘Just ask Jason places to go. He hikes all the time,’ " Lauren toldPEOPLE.
Once Jason showed up on set, Lauren did ask — but walked away with more than just Jason’s recommendations. He also offered her his number and an invitation to hike together.
He followed up on the invitation the next day, and the two, along with Lauren’s mother and Jason’s friend,went on a hike in Los Angeles.
She and Jason got married in 2014
After a seven-month engagement, the couple married in Lauren’s home state of Texas on Dec. 12, 2014. The newlyweds celebrated with family and friends at the Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas. The guest list included former Dallas Cowboys quarterbackTony Romoand his wife, Rancic and her husband Bill, formerTodayco-hostKathie Lee Giffordand fashion bloggers Courtney Kerr and Krystal Schlegel.
“Jason has completely changed my life, and I could not be more thankful for who he is and how he loves me. I can’t wait to spend forever with him,” Lauren told PEOPLE andE!.
Jason added, “God has blessed me with somebody I’ve been waiting for my whole life. Lauren changed everything for me and I can’t believe I get to spend the rest of my life with her.”
She is Jason’s No. 1 fan
On March 1, 2021, Jason’s 16-year career atE!came to an end, and Lauren commemorated the milestone in a sweet way.
In apost on her Instagram, she wrote, “there is nothing I love more than watching jase do what makes him come alive. 🎥 e! has brought him the sweetest opportunities, unforgettable experiences, has blessed him with a work team that is now family; it has been home away from home for 16 years.”
She continued, “babe, you have CRUSHED it and will forever and always be the hottest man on tv. 🤷🏼♀️”
Lauren said she was “proud” of the career Jason has created for himself and “cannot wait to celebrate new projects he’s been working hard on.”
She and Jason underwent an IVF journey
After struggling with fertility, Jason and Lauren chose the in vitro fertilization journey to expand their family. Lauren said she was “blessed” to have the opportunity to pursue this path with Jason, and told PEOPLE that there is “no shame” in the IVF process.
“I’m committed to this journey, and it’s a blessing, no matter what, because this could result in something so incredible,” Lauren said.
Lauren is an IVF twin herself, so she said she felt like the experience was a “full circle moment.”
“My parents did it years ago,” she said. “[They’ve] always been super open about it, so I feel like they’ve taught me with that as well.”
She and Jason share two children
On April 3, 2022, the couple became parents when they welcomed theirson, Ryver Rhodes, into the world.
“Trying to come up with words to fully process the last 48 hours aren’t possible. Seeing my son for the first time felt like a movie, I kept closing my eyes and finally realized it was true,” Lauren toldAccessHollywood. “We love this boy so much and are so thankful for this time together.”
Just over a year after welcoming Ryver through IVF, the couple announced they wereexpecting their second childwithout any medical intervention.
“This was a major surprise and the sweetest plot twist — I cannot wait to watch little ryver be a big brother,” Jason and Lauren captioned a joint post on Instagram.
Poppy Ford Kennedyarrived on Oct. 10, 2023. In a video onInstagram, Jason shared footage from Lauren’s C-section, his first skin-to-skin moment with Poppy and Ryver’s introduction to his little sister.
source: people.com
