KJ Apa chose one of his Riverdale costars to be the godfather to his now-three-year-old son.
Speaking to People magazine, the 28-year-old actor revealed that his longtime costar Charles Melton — who played Reggie Mantle in the teen drama — stepped into that role after being present for Sasha’s birth.
Apa welcomed his son with ex-partner Clara Berry in 2021. He recalled that Melton, 34, was in the delivery room when Berry gave birth, and it felt natural for him to later become Sasha’s godfather. Apa said the choice came from their close bond forged during their Riverdale years.
But behind the joyful milestone, Apa admitted life after Riverdale wasn’t easy. When the hit CW show wrapped in 2023, he struggled with a sense of self.
“When I finished that show, [I] went through a year of really having to re-gather who I was, like re-remember who I was,” he shared. “And I definitely had this crisis of identity with a whole lot of other things that I was going through.”
He added that the challenges of fatherhood and a public breakup with Berry only added to the whirlwind.
“Being a dad, my son being one years old at the time, going through a breakup with his mom and navigating all of that while trying to pick up the pieces of who I was,” Apa explained. Still, he sees the struggles as part of the journey. “I asked for this life… And I’m grateful for it and I’m glad I went through it.”
