WikiLeaks founder is reportedly a father to two children, one and two years old. Their mother is Stella Morris, one of Julian Assange’s lawyers who worked with the fugitive while he holed up in Ecuador’s embassy in London for much of the past decade.
The 48-year-old WikiLeaks founder is allegedly the dad of two boys born to South African-born lawyer Stella Morris, the Mail on Sunday reported. Both boys are British citizens, and they have already visited their father in prison, Stella told The Mail on Sunday.
The British newspaper published the report alongside photographs of Assange with the toddlers and an interview with Morris who said they “fell in love” and were even planning to marry. In fact, the love story has started in 2017, while the public has learned about the revelations in court papers seen last week.
Over the weeks, Julian Assange is being held in London’s high-security Belmarsh prison as he fights an extradition request by the United States to stand trial there on espionage charges.
Meanwhile, Stella Morris chose to reveal their relationship and the existence of their sons because “she fears Assange’s life is at serious risk if he remains in Belmarsh”, due to the spread of the novel pathogen.
Morris wants the one-time hacker released under British government plans to allow some prisoners temporary release, amid fears COVID-19 could sweep through jails.
Stella Morris: Julian Assange’s “life is on the brink”
Last month, the Australian’s lawyer team failed in a bail bid based on his risk of catching the COVID-19, with a British judge saying there were “no grounds” for his release.
While Assange’s lawyers haven’t yet commented on the news, WikiLeaks responded to the report on Twitter.
“Julian Assange’s newly revealed partner, mother of their 2 young children, urges UK government to bail him and other vulnerable prisoners as #coronavirus sweeps prisons,” it said.
The whistleblowing organisation posted its own video interview with Morris soon after, in which she detailed her purported five-year relationship with Assange.
Since 2012, Mr Assange has ensconced himself in the Ecuadoran embassy after skipping bail to avoid separate legal proceedings in Sweden, but was finally dragged out last year.
Being a special guest of Ecuador’s embassy in London, the Australian reportedly conceived the first child with Morris in 2016. Stella and Julian have begun a relationship the previous year while the lawyer visited him to work on his legal situation, the British media insist.
Assange watched the birth of both children in London hospitals via live video-link and met the elder boy, named Gabriel, after he was smuggled into the embassy, the Mail on Sunday says.
Ms Morris said she loves Julian deeply and is am looking forward to marrying him. That man has been fiercely protective of her and has done his best to shield me from the nightmares of his life, Stella added.
She said she had lived “quietly and privately”, raising Gabriel and his brother Max, while “longing for the day we could be together as a family”. Morris added: “Now I have to speak out because I can see that his life is on the brink.”
