Who Is Rumer Willis' Boyfriend? All About Derek Richard Thomas

Rumer Willis is a mom!

The actress and her boyfriend, Derek Richard Thomas, welcomed their daughter, Louetta Isley Thomas Willis, on April 18, 2023. This is the couple's first child together, as well as Bruce Willis and Demi Moore's first grandchild.

Rumer and Thomas announced they were expecting in December 2022. Two years prior, the Empire actress opened up about waiting to have children with the right partner.

"It's important to wait. I think it's so important not to rush in and have it be about the lust or about, you know, that immediate connection, then building a real foundation," she said while guest co-hosting on The Talk in November 2020.

She also joked about how her father, Bruce, has told her he's hoping for a grandson. "Even my dad puts pressure on me. Over quarantine, he was like, 'So I'd like for you to have a son because I need some male energy in this group.' It's a lot of women, obviously. He has five daughters and my mom and my step-mom. There's just a lot of female energy."

So who is Rumer Willis' boyfriend? Here's everything you need to know about Derek Richard Thomas.

He's a musician

Thomas is an independent musician who also goes by DRT, his initials. In addition to his solo music, he was the frontman and lead vocalist of a band called Vista Kicks. Along with his bandmates, the group released four albums and one EP.

In February 2023, however, Thomas announced on Instagram that Vista Kicks was taking a break after the release of their latest project. "I will continue to make music as @derekrichardthomas, produce artists on @inthedrtrecords, but most importantly I am becoming a father!!," he wrote along with the news, adding that the band is "leaving the door open to come together in the future."

Vista Kicks held their final show at The Fonda Theatre in L.A. on Feb. 17.

He's a music producer

In addition to his own musical endeavors, Thomas is also a producer under his record label In the DRT Records. His first project as a producer involved the band The Hail Maries. Made up of sisters Victoria and Makayla Wymer, the group has toured with Thomas' Vista Kicks and collaborated on a joint album.

"I am so proud of @thehailmaries and honored to be a part of their lives," he shared on Instagram after the band released a new album. "This album means so much to me, there will never be another first time producing, I wouldn't trade the experience of making this record for anything I hope you listen and enjoy it as much as we enjoyed making it!"

He's performed with Rumer and jammed with her dad and sister

Rumer has also taken to the stage with her musical beau. In May 2022, she accompanied him and The Hail Maries for a live performance at Jam In The Van in Los Angeles to sing his song, "How Many Years." Alongside a video from the evening, Rumer wrote that Thomas and his bandmates "are the most talented singers and songwriters I have heard in a very long time (maybe ever)."

In addition to performing with Rumer, he's also shown off his musical skills to her dad. In a sweet black-and-white video posted by the actor's wife Emma Heming Willis in August 2022, Thomas can be seen strumming a guitar with his back facing the camera. Playing alongside him is Bruce on harmonica, sitting at the bottom of a staircase.

For his band's final show in February 2023, Thomas was joined by yet another member of the Willis clan — Rumer's sister Scout.

Scout accompanied Thomas' band at The Fonda Theatre only a day after their family announced Bruce's frontotemporal dementia diagnosis. After her appearance, Scout wrote about the emotional timing of the performance on Instagram.

"I didn't plan the timing but something larger than me did because damn there is no better way I can think to honor my dad than playing music," she shared. "Last night was incredible and I feel so loved and so moved."

He's open about his love for Rumer

Even after only being together for a "short time," Thomas opened up about the impact Rumer has had on him in celebration of her 34th birthday in August 2022.

"In the short time we've been together you have filled my life with joy and peace. Everything is just so easy with you. We sing, we dance, we play and most of all we laugh. Thank you for being you," he wrote on Instagram. "You're a magical human I'm so glad you came into my life."

Rumer echoed Thomas' thoughts in a Valentine's Day tribute to her boyfriend in February 2023. "I didn't know that love could feel like this. I have never been so happy in my life. You make everything more fun and goofy and joyful," she wrote alongside a series of photos of her and Thomas.

He and Rumer welcomed a daughter in April 2023

On April 18, 2023, Rumer gave birth to a baby girl, Louetta Isley Thomas Willis, at home. The actress and Thomas introduced their newborn to the world a few days later.

"You are pure magic. You are more than we ever dreamed of," the couple captioned a joint Instagram post, which featured little Louetta sleeping on a pillow.

In December 2023, Rumer and Thomas revealed they were expecting their first child together.

The What Lies Ahead star shared a series of black-and-white images, including two of Thomas posing by her bump. Another photo showed off her pregnant silhouette as she stood near a window. They kept the caption simple with a seedling emoji.

The pregnancy news was met with well wishes in the comment section from famous friends, including Paris Hilton, Jenna Dewan, Lisa Rinna and others.

In March 2023, some of the couple's closest family and friends were able to celebrate the big news at an intimate baby shower in Los Angeles. The event was thrown by Moore and Rumer's sisters, Tallulah and Scout.

He and Rumer were "so excited" to become parents

During a February 2023 episode of Peggy Rometo and Kimberly Van Der Beek's podcast Bathroom Chronicles, Rumer discussed her and Thomas' excitement about becoming first-time parents.

"I was talking to my partner the other day and saying, 'You know, when I go to the farmers market, I call it church because I leave and I feel so excited,' " she said. "And the idea of being able to bring my kids in like a little cart or something brings me so much delight, I can't even ... I can't wait."

Rumer also opened up about how she's always wanted to be a mother, saying "it was never a question for me that I wanted to be a mom." She added, "And that just felt like such a divine purpose and something that when I started thinking about it, felt like such joy."

In a Valentine's Day post dedicated to Rumer, Thomas touched on their journey to parenthood, writing that he is "beyond grateful that we get to make a family together."

He continued, "Thank you for growing our child from scratch, I have so much reverence and respect for this journey you're on. We're on it together, but you're doing all the heavy lifting and I get to just cheer you on, feed you tacos and appreciate you. I can't wait to dance around the kitchen with our baby."