Tyler Perry, Gelila Bekele reportedly expecting first child

ATLANTA, Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Tyler Perry is reportedly expecting his first child.

The 45-year-old actor and director is said to have announced the news at his birthday party over the weekend. Perry hosted an elaborate affair to mark the occasion in Atlanta, and posted pictures of the bash Monday on Facebook and Twitter.

Sources believe the mother of the child is the director's on-and-off girlfriend, 28-year-old model Gelila Bekele. She and Perry have been involved for five years, and a recent photo appeared to confirm the news. Bekele's friend Pietro Mourao posted a snapshot of himself with the model on Instagram, and wrote in the comments, "She is a good New friend from NYC and she is 7 months pregnant baby boy!!"

The photo has since been deleted, but a screenshot is available on HollywoodTake.

Perry told Steve Harvey last year one of his remaining goals in life is to become a father. He declared he would be a "great" dad, but said he wasn't quite ready at the time.

"Right now I'm enjoying what I'm doing," he shared. "I'm 43, so two more years. By 45 you know who the hell you are, right? You've really settled in at 45, so I think two more years."

Perry is currently involved in new soap opera If Loving You is Wrong. The series is created, written and directed by the star, and premiered Sept. 9 on OWN.