Singer Mario gives birth to his first child with girlfriend Esmeralda Rios

Mario is officially a dad!

The 39-year-old “Let Me Love You” singer welcomed his first child, a son, with girlfriend Esmeralda Rios. Mario announced the happy news on his Instagram Stories on Monday, January 26th, with a selfie of himself wearing scrubs.

In the snap, the new dad, whose real name is Mario Dewar Barrett, jokingly referred to himself as “Dr. Barrett,” before revealing the news and sharing his appreciation for women.

During this photo shoot, the newly minted father jokingly referred to himself as “Dr. Barrett” and then spoke of his awe and appreciation for women.

“Women are God’s greatest creation, because all I witnessed today was God’s work!” he wrote. “You’re such a good boy!”

Mario first announced the birth of his first child with Rios on his Instagram Story in late August. In the post, Mario placed his hand on his girlfriend’s naked baby bump.

“There’s a whole universe out there! 🥹 Can’t wait,” he wrote in text under the photo.

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The “Closer to Mars” artist has previously spoken about the responsibility of having children. In a 2023 interview on V-103 Atlanta, he revealed that he “doesn’t take having children lightly.”

“I don’t take having children lightly,” he said. “Everyone I know has kids. My younger friends have kids, my older friends have kids, and there’s a lot of good and bad about that. And I also grew up without a father. So when I do it, I want to do it right away. You know, I have time, so I’m not going to rush it.”