Bradley Cooper says he struggled to 'love' his daughter for her first eight months
Hollywood heavyweight Bradley Cooper has opened up on his struggles as a father when it came to bonding with his infant daughter.
Cooper is known worldwide for roles in films such as The Hangover trilogy, the voice of Rocket in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy and Avengers universe.
He's also up for another Oscar nomination this year for directing and starring in biographical drama Maestro, a new flick dramatising the life of American conductor Leonard Bernstein.
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Away from the big screen, 49-year-old Cooper is dad to Lea, aged six, who he fathered during his four year relationship with Russian model Irina Shayk.
Ahead of the Oscars, Cooper sat down with actor and comedian Dax Shepard for his Armchair Expert podcast.
The pair spoke candidly about Cooper's personal growth since Lea came in to his life.
On the podcast, Cooper said he found himself confused when parents would say they would 'die in a second for their children'.
Speaking about his first year with Lea, Cooper revealed he didn't even know if he 'really loved' the baby that had come in to his life.
He said that unsure feeling lasted for the kid's first eight months, with time being the thing that brought them close as a father and daughter.
Cooper said: "The first eight months — I don’t even know if I really love the kid. It’s dope. It’s cool. I’m watching this thing morph.
"That’s my experience. Fascinated by it. Loved taking care of it."
He then added: "But would I die if someone came in with a gun?"
Cooper said that the feeling changed 'all of a sudden', with the ultimate sacrifice you'd give for your child in a 'no question' situation.
The Limitless star revealed Lea has been the reason he was 'still alive'.
He explained: "I’m not sure I’d be alive if I wasn’t a dad. I just needed someone to say, like, ‘We’re gonna drop this massive anchor'.
"I’m like, ‘Why? We’re speeding! I just got an upgrade on the boat, and I know where the wind’s coming in'. They’re like, ‘No, no, no, there’s a tsunami coming in, and you need an anchor and we’re gonna drop it'.
"Because this is gonna dictate everything you do from now on. Your DNA is going to tell you that there’s something more important than you."
People have reacted to Cooper's words, with some a little unsettled.
One X user wrote: "By far the craziest part of that Bradley Cooper quote isn’t when he says he wasn’t sure if he loved his baby (this is relatively common especially with postpartum depression) but when he implies that if an active shooter came in he would’ve let them shoot the baby."
A second posted: "Imagine if a celebrity mother said what Bradley Cooper did about their baby. Imagine if one referred to their newborn as 'it'."
A third added: "Bradley Cooper referring to his baby daughter as 'thing' and 'it' - so gross."
LADbible has contacted Cooper's reps for comment.
While Cooper is up for an Oscar for Maestro, the film was controversial because he wore a prosthetic nose for the flick.
Cooper stars as legendary conductor-composer Leonard Bernstein, looking at the Jewish icon's relationship with his wife.
The film scores 79% on Rotten Tomatoes and earned a seven minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival in September, but not everyone is as impressed it.
He was accused of 'Jewface' and 'ethnic cosplay' due to the fact he altered his features and took on the role of the composer, rather than giving the spot to a Jewish actor.
Makeup artist Kazu Hiro said he 'wasn't expecting' people to be offended by Cooper's exaggerated facial features in the film and feels 'sorry that he hurt some people's feelings'.
The makeup artist added: "My goal, and Bradley's goal, was to portray Lenny as authentic as possible.
"Lenny had a really iconic look that everybody knows – there's so many pictures out there because he's photogenic too – such a great person and inspired so many people. So we wanted to respect the look too, on the inside."
Cooper said he did the 'whole process out of love' during the production.
He said: "My nose is very similar to Lenny’s, actually. I thought, ‘Maybe we don’t need to do it,’ but it’s all about balance, and, you know, my lips are nothing like Lenny’s, and my chin.
"By the time he’s older, it’s the whole face [that had prosthetics], so we just had to do it.
"Otherwise, I wouldn’t believe he was a human being."
Topics: Bradley Cooper, Parenting, Celebrity, Oscars, TV and Film, US News, Marvel, Guardians of the Galaxy
Tom Earnshaw