Shawn Johnson and Andrew East Share Why They Won't Be Having More Kids (Exclusive)
Shawn Johnson and Andrew East Share Why They Won't Be Having More Kids (Exclusive)
Gillian TellingThu, June 25, 2026 at 9:14 PM UTC
0
Shawn Johnson East and husband Andrew East with children at their Nashville home in May 2026 Daughter: Drew (age 6) Middle son: Jett (age 4) Youngest son: Bear (2)Credit: Jessica Steddom
Key Takeaways
Shawn Johnson and Andrew East say their family of five feels complete
The couple recently released their first book, The Courage to Commit, about the power of dedication and perseverance
They share insights on parenting, marriage, and raising their three kids on a farm near Nashville
Married former athletes, gymnast Shawn Johnson and former NFL player Andrew East, who are already parents to "three incredible kids," daughter Drew, 6, and sons Jett, 4, and Bear, 2, say they likely won't be having more.
"Our family, I think, feels very complete," Johnson, 34, tells PEOPLE. Her husband, former NFL player East, also 34, agrees.
"I love it so much," he says of being a dad. "Having little kids is so fun, but I think we're done."
The couple, who host the popular podcast Couple Things, live on a farm near Nashville with their little ones, and just released their first book, The Courage to Commit: Embrace the Radical Power of Sticking with Something.
Shawn Johnson and Andrew East's new bookCredit: Penguin Random House
The message is that in a world full of endless choices, commitment and sticking to one thing isn't boring, and can in fact bring you the ultimate joy.
Shawn Johnson East and Andrew East with kids Drew, Jett and BearCredit: Jessica Steddom
"In our athletic careers, our marriage, our businesses, any success we've had has always been when we've truly stuck with it," Shawn says of why they wanted to write the book.
"We live among this anxious generation, where people have all these options that are highly customized and catered to the individual, and it almost creates this side effect of people not choosing any of the options at all," adds Andrew.
He continues, "Like they're waiting for the best option to present itself. But hen we have felt the, the most joy and, uh, success in life, it's when we've chosen one of the options that we have in front of us and, and then like cultivated it and watched it grow."
Shawn Johnson and Andrew EastCredit: Jessica Steddom
Shawn adds, "I think we just have proof of concept from our athletic careers. They taught us very firsthand how to really stick with something. Gymnastics is the most humbling sport. You have to fail miserably and stand back up and try again and fail again."
The two, who have been married for 10 years, say that they're also deeply committed to each other and prioritize marriage and family, but want their readers to know it's not always smooth sailing.
Take PEOPLE with you! Subscribe to PEOPLE magazine to get the latest details on celebrity news, exclusive royal updates, how-it-happened true crime stories and more — right to your mailbox.
Shawn Johnson and Andrew EastCredit: Jessica Steddom
"I got really tired of all these movies portraying romance as a fairy tale that's so easy, and people thinking that if theirs wasn't easy, it was wrong," Shawn says, noting that they seek counseling if the need arises, and also have had to weather storms like miscarriages and postpartum depression.
Advertisement
"That's not something anyone prepares you for," Shawn says of the devastating pregnancy losses. "It's such an emotional rollercoaster." She also had postpartum depression after Bear was born. "I struggled after my third," she admits, adding that they're currently thriving as a family of five, and the kids are "incredible."
Andrew raves about daughter Drew's sense of fashion. "She's this crazy good fashion designer," he says proudly, adding that she makes clothes from all sorts of materials she finds around the house.
Meanwhile, Jett is as "wild as they come." Shawn explains, "I think our 4-year-old would probably win an award for that. He races motocross, which is not anything we actively chose. It chose him. He was born with that streak in him."
Shawn Johnson and Andrew East and kids Drew, Jett and BearCredit: Jessica Steddom
They say their 2-year-old Bear is similar.
"Our third, our 2 year old is scary independent," Shawn says. "Like you cannot turn around because he will just disappear, and he's just a do it myself kind of guy. Also, he's always naked. We live on like an acreage, kind of like a farm now and he's just, you turn around and his clothes are off."
Shawn Johnson and BearCredit: Jessica Steddom
Shawn notes that she was also a wild child in her younger days, which is how she got into gymnastics in the first place.
"I was a crazy child," she says with a laugh. "I had way too much energy. I thought I could fly, and I was in the ER a lot because I would jump off of things. So my parents found a 'padded playground' which is what they called a gymnastics gym, and I just fell in love with it."
Shawn Johnson at the 2008 SUMMER OLYMPICSCredit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBCU Photo Bank
The two say that they hope their kids will get into sports too.
"I'm a big fan of sports," says Andrew, who was a long snapper with the Washington Commanders. "And we'll let the kids get into what they want to, but I think we kind of have like four categories now where we want them to be involved: Something physical, academics, something creative and spiritual. So sports is definitely part of that."
He notes they won't pressure them to be the best of the best or turn pro.
"We don't care about that," he says. "But there's an aspect to sports that teaches children amazing life lessons. And we also feel like it's a duty for us as parents to help our children find what they love."
Shawn Johnson and Andrew East at home with Drew, Jett and BearCredit: Jessica Steddom
Shawn adds, "We have told all of our children that from a young age that God hid treasures in your heart, and it's the great adventure of life to go out and try to find them."
The Courage to Commit is available now, wherever books are sold.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
