Tobey Maguire made a prank call to his wife about their newborn son’s name—and she believed him.
The Babylon actor shares two children with ex-wife Jennifer Meyer: Ruby Sweetheart, now 19, and Otis Tobias, now 15. Their family story spans nearly two decades, from private fatherhood moments to a custody battle that emerged last year.
Ruby arrived first on Nov. 10, 2006. Maguire married Meyer the following year.
Five months after Ruby’s birth, the Spider-Man star spoke at a press day about his new role. “I love my daughter … yeah, it’s definitely amazing!” he said at the time.
He told Men’s Health in April 2007: “When she smiles, it’s the most fantastic thing ever. But it’s not like I didn’t expect that. I expected to fall completely in love with my child.”
The Name Prank
Otis was born on May 8, 2009. Six months later, Maguire appeared on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and shared a story about the birth certificate.
He revealed that he pranked Meyer by telling her he spelled their son’s name “Oatis” instead of “Otis” on the official paperwork. Despite his inability to keep a straight face, she fell for it before he came clean.
Behind the Split
The couple separated in 2016 after nine years of marriage. Their joint statement emphasized co-parenting.
“After much soul searching and consideration we have made the decision to separate as a couple,” they told PEOPLE. “As devoted parents, our first priority remains raising our children together with enduring love, respect and friendship.”
But the separation stretched into a formal divorce filing. Meyer submitted paperwork in October 2020.
Five years later, in August 2025, Maguire responded by requesting joint legal and physical custody of Otis.
Growing Up Private
Ruby stepped into the spotlight briefly in December 2022. At 16, she joined her father on the red carpet at the Babylon premiere in Los Angeles—a rare public moment for the then-teenager.
Otis has taken a different path. After appearing in photos with his parents as a young child, he has stayed entirely out of public view into his teenage years.
What to watch next: Details about the current custody arrangement were not provided in the source text.
Sources: PEOPLE, Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, Men’s Health
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