Jessica Capshaw’s 4 Children: All About Luke, Eve, Poppy and Josephine

Jessica Capshaw is a busy mom of four children: Luke, Eve, Poppy and Josephine.

The Grey’s Anatomy star married entrepreneur Christopher Gavigan in 2004, and over the next decade, the actress and The Honest Company co-founder grew their family.

Now, the daughter of Kate Capshaw and stepdaughter of Steven Spielberg works hard to balance work and home life. Amid her busy filming schedule and her children’s various activities, Jessica believes in overcommunicating to help ease their worries.

“Sometimes I’m working really, really hard, and it’s a lot. I always keep my kids very well-informed,” the Tell Me Lies star told PEOPLE in 2017. “The only thing that kids, I think, really have the hardest time with is not knowing. So as long as they know, and they know what to expect, they’re very well-equipped. Because they’re very resilient.”

Here’s everything to know about Jessica Capshaw’s children: Luke, Eve, Poppy and Josephine.

Luke Hudson Gavigan, 17

Jessica and Christopher welcomed their first child, a son named Luke Hudson Gavigan, on Sept. 8, 2007.

By the time he was 5 years old, Luke had already attended several events with his mom. That said, she started keeping him out of the public eye, and the next time Jessica gave a glimpse of him was on his eighth birthday in 2015.

She shared a throwback picture of Luke commemorating the day “the sweetest angel” was born.

“You brighten our days with your sunshine and light our paths at night with your moonshine,” she continued on Instagram. “Everything is more fun with you by my side.”

Growing up, he also believed Jessica was an actual doctor, as she told at PopFest in 2017, per Entertainment Weekly.

“When my son went to kindergarten … during the first or second week, I got a phone call saying that he wasn’t feeling well,” Jessica said. “I rushed to school, and I walked in the door, and the nurse … goes, ‘Oh, I get it.’ And I said, ‘I’m sorry, what?’ “

“And my son looks up, he’s sitting on the thing, and [the nurse] goes, ‘Your son said that his mom was a doctor,’ ” she added.

Although he didn’t understand her acting job at the time, Jessica was excited to take it all in.

“When my son gives me a hug out of nowhere and I ask why, he says, ‘Because you’re my love nugget,’ ” she told Good Housekeeping in 2011. “I love the surprise element of being a mom.”

Eve Augusta Gavigan, 13

Jessica and Christopher celebrated the arrival of their second child, daughter Eve Augusta Gavigan, on Oct. 20, 2010.

Like her brother, Eve started gracing red carpet events as a baby, and she eventually began reaching milestones behind the scenes. In honor of her fifth birthday in 2015, Jessica penned a sweet tribute on Instagram.

“5 years old today and yet she walks with a million years of wisdom resting on her shoulders,” the actress captioned a photo of Eve. “The best combination of joyful, kind, caring, generous and boy, oh, boy is this little one SMART.”

Two years later, Jessica gave an update on how her schooling was going.

“Eve is starting kindergarten this year,” Jessica told PEOPLE. “And is just this sponge of bringing home every single fact that then comes into her little life as a kindergartner — teaching me things, again.”

Throughout her childhood, she has also explored different passions, including riding horses and traveling. In 2018, Jessica took Eve to Paris, and the Holidate star documented the special moment on social media.

“We couldn’t have had a better time exploring such a magical city and meeting such incredible and kind people,” she wrote on Instagram alongside a selfie of them hugging. “The city’s light and history and architecture and food and art, and, and, and … the list is endless. Feeling a whole lot of thankful for this time and opportunity. 💕.”

Out of all their children, Eve is spotted less often than her siblings. Apart from the occasional family photo featuring the group of six, Christopher has also given peeks at her enjoying life, like in the summer of 2019.

“Be strong, be generous, be you all of you – we need you now,” he captioned a picture of Eve sitting in the sand as waves crashed around her.

Most recently, Eve made a rare appearance alongside her grandfather, Spielberg, on the 2024 Oscars red carpet.

Poppy James Gavigan, 12

Like her older sister, Poppy is also an equestrian. The following year, Christopher posted a photo of her celebrating a win at a horse show.

“To witness your child commit, connect and collaborate with grace, deep strength, & their deepest truth … ✨🐎🥰 I have learned so much from you, Poppy,” he wrote on Instagram.

Jessica showed her Instagram followers more of Poppy’s energetic personality when she celebrated her ninth birthday. The actress shared a snap of the mother-daughter duo twinning in overalls and posing on a picnic table just as summer kicked off.

“The sun always shines brighter when you are around … there’s no one with more sparkle in their eye or joy in their smile,” she wrote in 2021. “Poppy, I am grateful every day that I get to be your Mom.”

Josephine Kate Gavigan, 8

Jessica and Christopher were excited to welcome their fourth child, a daughter named Josephine Kate Gavigan, on May 2, 2016.

The Odd Man star announced the birth of her youngest daughter on Instagram, writing, “I am endlessly grateful for her safe arrival and my heart is so full of love that it threatens to burst.”

Speaking to PEOPLE later that same year, Jessica revealed that her older siblings were immediately obsessed with her. “They all just love each other and that’s so wonderful to be a part of,” she said.

In 2017, the actress also shared heartfelt anecdotes about Josephine’s growth, including her love of homemade organic purées and how quickly she began moving on her own. Jessica noted that once her youngest child started sitting and crawling, she became “a majorly active member of the Capshaw-Gavigan household.”

During a virtual appearance on Live with Kelly and Ryan in 2020, Jessica revealed that Kelly Ripa supported her decision to have another baby.

“Kelly was a very strong vote in favor of [having a fourth baby],” the actress told co-host Ryan Seacrest, explaining that she was on the fence if having one more child would be difficult.

Jessica continued, “She was like, ‘Have the fourth, have the fourth.’ … I’m very grateful because I’m so happy.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jessica realized how lucky she was to see her kids so much. “The other day, my younger daughter, Josie, was upset that I had to leave. I told her, ‘I love that you’re going to miss me. I see you all the time,’ ” she told C Magazine in 2020.

Jessica added, “When my other daughters were her age, I was at work a lot, sometimes at 4:30 a.m. While there’s nothing ‘good’ about the pandemic, what it has meant is that my family is together a lot more often.”