August 11, 2008

'American Idol' Vet Clay Aiken Becomes A Dad

By Jocelyn Vena (MTV.com)

Clay Aiken is officially a father, his mother reportedly told a Raleigh, North Carolina, radio station.

The American Idol vet and his friend and producer Jaymes Foster, 50, welcomed a son, Parker Foster Aiken, at 8.08am, Friday (August 8) at an undisclosed location. Aiken's mother, Faye, broke the news to radio station WRAL later Friday morning.

She told the station the baby has dark hair and weighs 6 pounds and 2 ounces and is 19 inches long. She also said Aiken "is smiling from ear to ear." Foster, Aiken and their son are all doing fine, according to Faye.

News of the pregnancy surfaced in May, along with reports that the baby was conceived via artificial insemination.

Aiken has long been under scrutiny about his sexuality but has shied away from addressing the matter directly. He told MTV News in 2006, "[Knowing] who I'm dating and what kind of cereal I eat ain't gonna benefit anybody else. That kind of thing is not important.

"I think there's a distinction," he continued. "People have different opinions on that type of thing. I told you what mine is, and I think for each person, you do what's right for you. For me, part of the reason that I have anxiety is the fact that I feel like people are always staring at me. So it's important for me to make sure that I have my friends and vacation, and what I do at home with my family and that type of thing [stays private]."

Aiken and Foster, who met when Aiken was a contestant on Idol, have said they plan to raise the child together. Jaymes is music producer David Foster's sister.