All About Lacey Chabert's Daughter, Julia Mimi Bella Nehdar

Lacey Chabert and her husband, David Nehdar, welcomed their daughter Julia in 2016

Lacey Chabert is a proud working mom. The Mean Girls star and her husband, David Nehdar, share one daughter: Julia Mimi Bella Nehdar.

Though Chabert told PEOPLE that at one point during her pregnancy, she felt “so uncomfortable,” it was all worth it when Julia was born. She explained, “It’s true, what people say, that you watch them grow up and you really imagine yourself doing it all over again.”

Two weeks after welcoming her daughter, Chabert reflected on the birth experience, sharing with PEOPLE that meeting her for the first time was the “most special moment” of her life. “They laid Julia on my chest in the delivery room and my heart completely melted. She was just so peaceful,” she said.

“I instantly fell deeply in love with her,” Chabert continued. “The pure joy of finally being able to see and kiss her sweet little face was a moment I’ll treasure forever. She truly is a blessing from God.”

Since then, the Christmas Waltz actress has said that Julia is the “No. 1 priority” in life, though she hopes to set a good example for her daughter by being a working mom.

“I’m very thankful that I’m also able to continue working," she told PEOPLE. "I hope to set that example for her to let her know that you can do it all, but with a lot of help and support!”

Here’s everything to know about Lacey Chabert's daughter, Julia Mimi Bella Nehdar.

She was born in September 2016

Chabert and Nehdar welcomed their daughter, Julia, on Sept. 1, 2016, weighing 7 lbs., 3 oz.

She announced her daughter’s birth on Instagram, sharing a snap of the newborn wrapped in a pink furry blanket. In the caption, she called Julia her “heart’s deepest dream come true,” adding, “I love you more than I could ever say. Welcome to this big beautiful world sweet girl!”

The actress revealed how she shared she was pregnant with her family on Hallmark’s Home & Family in July 2018. Chabert and Nehdar revealed the news to her parents on Christmas Eve by gifting them a onesie and tiny mittens with the message, “My first Christmas.” She said her parents were confused by the gifts until they realized it was a pregnancy announcement, which left them in tears.

Chabert gave followers a look at her first days with her daughter when celebrating Julia's 7th birthday in September 2023. To mark the occasion, the actress posted a sweet photo of her holding a newborn Julia just days after her birth.

"You light up our lives with your sparkly spirit. We love you more than words can describe," she wrote in the caption.

Her name has a special meaning

While some fans may believe that Chabert named her daughter after Neve Campbell’s character on the Fox drama Party of Five, she was actually named after Chabert’s mother.

The actress shared the inspiration behind her daughter’s name with PEOPLE, explaining, “My mother and I have always had a very close relationship, so I wanted to honor my mom by naming my daughter Julia as well.”

To mark Mother’s Day in May 2019, Chabert reflected on her daughter’s namesake in a post on social media. “I’m so glad I named Julia after such a special woman. I could never say thank you enough for all that you’ve done for me,” she wrote on Instagram alongside an old picture of them together.

She visits her mom on set

Chabert, who has starred in more than 30 Hallmark movies, has found a balance between being a mother and her career. Ahead of welcoming her daughter, she spoke to PEOPLE about how her child would affect her work, sharing that she intended to go back to work as “quickly as possible,” but knew things would be different.

“I want to take jobs where I could have the baby with me,” Chabert said. “I just don’t want to miss my child growing up.”

Chabert told BUILD Series in March 2017 that prior to Julia's birth, her main concern was whether or not her husband could come or if the project worked for their schedules. Since becoming a mom, Chabert said that now her daughter “is the most important thing” to factor into her decisions.

“It’s not only about my marriage, but also about what works for the family and the baby,” she shared. “I am lucky that my job allows me to bring her to set with me, which is really nice.”

Chabert told Home & Family in January 2020 that Julia came to visit her on set while filming Winter in Vail, where she experienced the cold and snow for the first time. The year before, Chabert revealed on the same show that Julia also came to set while filming All Of My Heart: The Wedding, a moment she described as “so neat.”

“Even as a child, I dreamed of one day being a mom and to be a working actor, there’s not a day I’m not grateful for it,” she said. “And to have my daughter on my lap and be there alongside and have these adventures with me is what my dreams have always been about.”

She’s a “boss baby”

In interviews over the years, Chabert has affectionately referred to her daughter as a “boss baby.” She joked on BUILD Series in an October 2019 interview that her daughter runs her life, explaining, “I’m like, ‘So, what are we doing today, Julia?’ "

Chabert continued, "It was my birthday recently, and my husband’s like, ‘What do you want to do for your birthday?’ And she’s like, ‘We want to go to Disneyland.’ “

She told Access Hollywood when Julia was 2, she was “so sassy,” explaining, “Yesterday, she’s like ‘Momma, go away, stop it,’ like whispering to me because I was embarrassing her in front of people. But she’s also a momma’s girl, we are attached at the hip.”

The actress reiterated Julia’s “sassy” nature when she appeared on E! News' Mom2Mom, describing her daughter as a “handful.” She explained, “She’s fun and sassy and so sweet, and she outsmarts us, and we always joke that she’s kind of the boss baby; she’s the boss of the house.”

She’s seen her mom’s work – including Mean Girls

Julia has seen her mom in action both on set and on-screen.

Chabert recalled a hilarious moment on The Kelly Clarkson Show in January 2022 about her daughter’s first time watching Mean Girls, or at least part of the movie. The actress said that she came home from work one day and her husband mentioned that he and Julia had “watched a few scenes from it” together.

"I'm like, 'Okay,’ and [Julia] goes, 'Mommy, I didn't know you were Gretchen Wieners. Did you know that was your name?' ” she said. “It's so funny even hearing that name come out of her mouth.”

Chabert pointed out one scene in particular that her daughter saw from the Tina Fey flick of her, Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried dancing to “Jingle Bell Rock” for the winter talent show.

Chabert said on PEOPLE Now, “She started laughing, so I was like, ‘I think she recognizes me!’ “

For the most part though, the actress sticks to showing Julia her Hallmark movies since they're “pretty safe for her to watch," as she explained to Access Hollywood.

As for whether Chabert would let her daughter become a child actor like her, she said it’s unlikely until she’s older. The Haul Out the Holly star explained that although she "had a great experience in the business growing up," it's "different" now.

"It’s definitely not something I would push, but if that turns out to be her passion later in life, then of course you better believe I’ll do everything I could to help her," Chabert added. "But for now, she can just watch the movies.”

She's growing up out of the spotlight

As a new mom, Chabert initially shared glimpses of her daughter across social media. In recent years, however, she started concealing Julia's face in photos by placing an emoji over her or hiding her face from the camera to protect her privacy.

The actress spoke to BUILD Series about her decision to keep her personal life — including her family — private.

Chabert said she is “very protective” of her loved ones and is thoughtful about what she shares publicly, especially regarding her daughter.

“As a parent now, I think that parents should obviously be in control of when and where their child’s picture is shown or shared, or not,” she said. “That’s everyone’s personal decision and I think that’s been made a lot easier with social media.”

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