Hailee Steinfeld Jokes Daughter Harper, 6 Months, Is a 'Genius'

Hailee Steinfeld is one proud mom, and she's pretty sure her baby girl is ahead of the curve.

The actress and singer, 29, opened up about life with her 6-month-old daughter, Harper, during an appearance on Live with Kelly and Mark on Thursday, Nov. 5.

Steinfeld shares Harper with her husband, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, 30. And according to the new mom, their little girl is already keeping them on their toes.

"She's a smart cookie"

When the conversation turned to her daughter, Steinfeld lit up.

"She is totally on the move," she said. "This girl is crawling around."

Like plenty of first-time parents, Steinfeld admitted that watching Harper hit her milestones has made her a little biased. "You will be convinced your child is a genius when they're doing everything right on track," she joked. "But she's crawling already. She's got to be a genius!"

Then she gave her official verdict on her daughter: "She's a smart cookie."

"6 months, and also 4 weeks, and also 5 years old"

Steinfeld also got honest about how strange time feels as a new parent.

"I feel like she's 6 months, and also 4 weeks, and also 5 years old," she said, adding, "Time is crazy how it works."

It's a feeling many parents know well. The newborn days fly by, but every new skill makes a baby seem older overnight.

Steinfeld also said motherhood has taught her to slow down and "soak in the small pockets of joy that are truly all around us."

Live with Kelly and Mark on YouTube.

Crawling and "on the move"

This isn't the first time Steinfeld has gushed about Harper's crawling.

In her Beau Society newsletter in September, she shared a sweet update about the family's quiet moments at home. "Harper is totally crawling, so hanging out with her on our living room floor with a pile of books and toys has become my new favorite hobby," she wrote.

She also described one adorable habit. "I love watching her flip through a picture book, then suddenly get bored of it and crawl over to me as fast as she can," Steinfeld wrote. "It's like she's saying, 'Look at me go, Mom!'"

But she isn't in a rush for the next big milestone. She admitted she is "not at all ready to think about her talking," adding that "she's growing so fast!!"

How Hailee shared Harper with the world

Steinfeld and Allen have kept their daughter's life largely private.

Instead, Steinfeld has used her own Beau Society newsletter on Substack to share the biggest moments with fans.

On Thursday, April 2, she announced Harper's birth in a post titled "Special delivery." Her message was short and full of joy: "Our baby girl has arrived!!"

Then, on Friday, June 19, she revealed her daughter's full name, Harper Haize Allen, in a newsletter titled "A letter to my daughter."

"Dearest Harper," the letter began. In it, Steinfeld wrote that while she knows she is "meant to guide you through this life," her daughter has "taught me far more than I could ever teach you."

"Unconditional self-love"

Motherhood has also changed the way Steinfeld sees herself.

In a fan Q&A in her newsletter on Friday, June 12, she shared the biggest lesson Harper has taught her so far.

"One of the most unexpected things I've learned from my daughter is the importance of modeling unconditional self-love," she wrote.

It's a lesson she clearly hopes to pass on to Harper as she grows up.

Josh Allen: "If the baby's up, I'm up, too"

Allen has also been embracing his new role as a girl dad, even if it has cost him some sleep.

In an interview published in July, the NFL star said fatherhood changed his bedtime in a big way. "If I'm not in bed by 9:15, we got a problem," he said.

He also made it clear that his daughter comes first, no matter how tired he is. Allen said the baby sets the schedule: "That baby's not going to wait until you're rested." He added that being tired is on him, saying, "So I just need to be the best dad that I can be."

When it comes to the overnight shift, he's all in. "If the baby's up, I'm up, too, that's just what it is," he said.

And he had nothing but praise for his wife. Of Steinfeld, Allen said, "she's been fantastic in the whole piece of this, too."

The story behind Harper's name

Allen has also opened up about how the couple picked their daughter's name.

In an interview with E! News published in early July, he credited his wife for the name. Asked whether it has a special significance, he said, "She can answer that question better than I can," and added that he would "let her answer that one."

E! News on YouTube.

From first dates to parenthood

Steinfeld and Allen's love story has been a fan favorite for years.

The pair were first linked in 2023 and went Instagram official in July 2024. Allen proposed in November 2024, and the couple married in May 2025.

They announced they were expecting their first child in December 2025, and Harper was born in April 2026.

Now, with Allen in the middle of another NFL season with the Bills, the family is balancing game days with life at home. Steinfeld has been spotted supporting Allen at Bills games, often from a suite with other players' partners.

A busy fall for the family

The couple also hosted the Bills' annual Halloween party this year, with a theme of "Allen's in Wonderland," a playful twist on Alice in Wonderland.

Steinfeld shared a photo of Harper's tiny black shoes with the caption "And of course, Harper was our Alice!" It was Harper's very first Halloween.

It was a sweet glimpse of the growing family, and a sign that Harper is already part of the Bills family fun.

A star since her teens

Steinfeld has been in the spotlight since she was a young teen. She earned an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress at just 14 for her breakout role in the 2010 Western True Grit.

She went on to appear in Pitch Perfect 2 and Pitch Perfect 3, played Kate Bishop in Marvel's Hawkeye series and voiced Vi in the animated hit Arcane. In 2025, she appeared alongside Michael B. Jordan in Ryan Coogler's Sinners, playing Mary.

She has also built a music career with hits like "Love Myself" and "Starving." Now, she's adding a new title to that impressive résumé: mom.

Mom life suits her

Between her music, acting and newsletter, Steinfeld has plenty on her plate. But it's clear that her favorite role right now is mom.

From watching Harper crawl across the living room floor to marveling at how fast she's growing, Steinfeld is soaking in every moment, and she's not shy about bragging on her baby girl.

As she put it, Harper is "a smart cookie," and her proud mom is clearly enjoying every minute.

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