In a stunning revelation that adds a deeply personal twist to one of the world’s most controversial legal sagas, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange fathered two children during his years-long refuge inside the Ecuadorian Embassy in London. His partner, Stella Morris, disclosed the news as she urgently appealed for his release from prison, warning that the 48-year-old could die behind bars amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Secret Family Formed Behind Embassy Walls
Morris, a lawyer who joined Assange’s legal team in 2011, said their relationship began around 2015. The couple became engaged two years later, and during Assange’s confinement, they had two sons — Gabriel, now three, and Max, aged one.
Assange watched both births via video link from inside the embassy.
Morris said she had long shielded the children from public attention, with Assange respecting her desire for privacy. The boys have since visited their father while he was still under Ecuador’s protection, and they now maintain contact through video calls.
Assange’s Legal Battle Intensifies
Assange has spent nearly a year in Belmarsh prison, after UK police removed him from the embassy in 2019 when Ecuador revoked his asylum over what it called “repeated violations” of international agreements and daily protocols.
On May 18, he is scheduled for another key hearing related to his possible extradition to the United States, where he faces espionage charges tied to WikiLeaks’ publication of classified documents.
Morris fears he may not survive long enough to see the end of his legal fight. With the coronavirus spreading rapidly in prisons, she warns that Assange — already in fragile health — is “at extreme risk” and could die if not released on bail.
A Shadowed Personal Life
BBC reporting suggests Assange may also have other children, though little is known about them. His adult son, Daniel Assange, is reportedly a software designer in Australia.
As the extradition battle enters its next stage, Morris’s revelation underscores the human stakes behind the global controversy: a hidden family, two young children, and a father fighting for his life and freedom.