AceShowbiz - Stana Katic has welcomed her first child into the world. According to a new report, the former "Castle" star and her husband Kris Brkljac secretly gave birth to their first child together late last year.

Her rep confirmed the happy news in a statement to Us Weekly. "They had a baby this winter and have been enjoying the time since cocooning as a family," the rep said.

Prior to this, the 44-year-old star dropped a huge hint she and Kris had become parents last weekend. She shared a picture of Kris and wrote, "Happy Fathers Day to all the Pappys out there, but especially Happy Pappy’s Day to my love. Best decision I ever made was joining forces with you. We love you and are so glad we get to share this life together. #Blessed."

Stana's Instagram post was her first since October 23, when the star announced she would be taking a break from the photo-sharing platform. "Alright, folks. It's been fun, but the work ahead is a mile-high. So, for now, adieu," she wrote at the time. "See you sometime in the new year, hopefully with fun news to share!"

Stana and Kris married in April 2015 on the Dalmatian Coast in Croatia. Born in Canada and has Serbian parents who emigrated from Croatia, she is best known for playing Kate Beckett in the ABC romantic-crime series "Castle" from 2009 to 2016.

Announcing her departure, ABC said in a statement at the time, "Kate Beckett has been a beloved character on our hit series 'Castle' for the past eight years. We are grateful for Stana Katic's talent and dedication to the series and we hope to continue our relationship."

Stana later took to her Twitter account to address her exit. "To the fans: thank you for your support. I love you," she tweeted.