How many children does Kirsten Dunst have? Actress shares update after terrifying health scare

Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons got married in 2022 after welcoming their sons Ennis in 2018 and James in 2021.

Earlier this year, the couple went through a terrifying ordeal because of their younger son, James' health scare.

Speaking to Town & Country, Kirsten Dunst recounted how James, then 4, endured a “serious health scare” while she was filming The Entertainment System Is Down in Budapest.

Plemons had traveled there with both children, and Ennis had already started school when James’ condition took a sudden turn. Kirsten Dunst refrained from giving medical details but offered reassurance, saying, “Everyone is fine now.”

Once James stabilized, Plemons returned to Los Angeles with the children, while Dunst remained abroad for work commitments. The experience, however, left a mark. Dunst admitted to struggling with heightened parental anxiety afterward.

“It’s like Final Destination, where you’re imagining all the things that could go wrong, worst-case scenarios happening to your child, I have never seen that movie, but I know the concept. That’s how it feels to be a mother at times.” she explained.

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Kirsten Dunst on family dreams, baby names, and raising Ennis with Jesse Plemons:

Back in 2017, Kirsten Dunst hinted at her hopes for motherhood in an interview with Marie Claire. Writer Mickey Rapkin joined her for a walk and a hot dog at LA’s Descanso Gardens, where the actress, who has been working since the age of 3, admitted, “It’s time to have babies and chill.”

Dunst confessed that the feeling hadn’t always come naturally.

“I wasn’t one of those ‘I need a baby!’ people until my goddaughter was born, I love her so much. That love is just like… you can’t experience that unless you have a kid. I put her to bed last night and she woke up this morning and said to her mom, ‘Where’s Kiki?’ I just love that love. That’s what I want.” she shared.

Two years later, in a 2019 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Dunst revealed how she and Jesse Plemons decided on the name of their first son, Ennis.

“We found it online. You know, on those baby websites where you just keep scrolling. We were like, ‘We like that. It sounds cool,’ ” she explained, calling it “an old cowboy name.”

Ennis made his public debut at just 1 year old when he accompanied Dunst to her Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony. Speaking to PorterEdit that same year, she noted that while she understood the appeal of putting cute children in front of the camera, she and Plemons planned to hold back.

“If you have a kid who’s very cute, I get why people do it. Do a Gap ad and you can make your college money. It’s the first time I kind of understand it, Ennis is so adorable, with two big dimples. He is such a happy baby, and I see why I might want that memento of him at this age, but we will probably just encourage him to do school plays.” she explained.

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Kirsten Dunst on welcoming her second son, James, with Jesse Plemons:

Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons expanded their family in April 2021 with the birth of their second son, James Robert Plemons. Dunst had revealed her pregnancy a month earlier, proudly debuting her baby bump on the cover of W Magazine. The couple kept quiet about James’ arrival until September of that year.

Speaking to The New York Times four months after giving birth, Dunst introduced her youngest. “This is the newest guy, the Big Kahuna,” she said. “He’s an angel, but he’s a hungry angel. And a heavy angel.” At the time, she described James as weighing 18 pounds.

James’ arrival also gave Ennis, their firstborn, the new role of big brother. Jesse Plemons admitted the adjustment was touching to watch. “It’s so, so wild and wonderful to see our eldest son with him, you know,” he told GQ UK in 2021.

“It’s hard to put into words, other than just like very, very cheesy words. But it’s so beautiful, and he’s been so understanding, with us dividing our attention. He had a few little slip-ups, but that’s to be expected, you know?” he explained.

With two young sons and careers that kept them busy, Kirsten Dunst and Plemons had their hands full. Yet their reflections on family life showed that, despite the challenges, they found joy in the everyday moments of raising Ennis and James together.