Courteney Cox's Daughter Is Growing Up Fast

As one of the stars of Friends, Courteney Cox was one of the most well-known celebrities in Hollywood throughout the run of the series. Actor David Arquette was already high profile in his own right, being part of an established acting dynasty. Cox and Arquette met on the set of the 1996 horror flick Scream, and their relationship soon transitioned from the big screen into real life. When they started dating, they quickly became a quintessential '90s couple. Cox and Arquette wed in 1999, and the actress added his name to hers, becoming "Courteney Cox Arquette." In recognition of the name change, for one episode of Friends, "Arquette" appeared after each cast member's name in the opening credits.

So when the couple welcomed a new baby into the world in 2004, that baby was immediately born into fame. But since her birth, Coco Arquette has gone on to forge her own unique path in life.

While Cox and Arquette seemed to be living a charmed life, bringing Coco Arquette into the world did not come easily — the couple suffered countless setbacks on their road to parenthood. Before announcing her pregnancy, Cox told People, "I get pregnant pretty easily, but I have a hard time keeping them." The couple reportedly suffered several miscarriages and tried in vitro fertilization.

However, in 2004, Cox and Arquette announced that they were expecting, and the couple seemed to be eagerly anticipating their new arrival. Arquette told People, "I can't wait to read stories and play games and the whole thing." People reports that Cox checked into a Los Angeles hospital midday on June 12, 2004. After hours of labor, just over a month after the Friends series finale aired, Coco was born on June 13, 2004, one week ahead of her due date.

Courteney Cox and David Arquette named their newborn daughter Coco Riley Arquette. When the name was announced, it quickly garnered curiosity. While Coco is an adorable name, it's not terribly common, so some fans began to wonder how her parents chose it. Why Coco? Was it a nod to fashion designer Coco Chanel? What did it mean?

The answer as to how Coco Arquette got her name is deceptively simple and was right in front of fans' noses the whole time. In a 2010 appearance on Lopez Tonight, David Arquette explained that Coco is named after her famous mother, Courteney Cox. Coco combines the first part of Courteney Cox's first name and the first part of her last name. So while it might not be immediately apparent to the naked eye that mother and daughter share a name, Coco's name pays subtle homage to her mama.

From the very beginning, Coco Arquette was surrounded by fame. Courteney Cox, her mother, gained tremendous fame from the hit TV series Friends and the popular horror movie Scream. David Arquette was well known for his roles in Scream and the romantic-comedy Never Been Kissed. But the fame doesn't end there. David Arquette also comes from an acting family. His grandfather, Cliff Arquette, had been an actor and comedian. His parents, Lewis Arquette and Brenda Denaut, were actors. All four of his siblings (Patricia Arquette, Richmond Arquette, Rosanna Arquette, and the late Alexis Arquette) have also worked as actors.

In addition to being directly related to so many famous performers, Coco also has close connections with other celebrities. People reports that Jennifer Aniston, Cox's good friend and former co-star, is Coco's godmother. In fact, Aniston traveled to Birmingham, Ala., to attend her baptism. Cox told People, "Jennifer has the biggest heart, and there could be no better godmother."

On the surface, Courteney Cox and David Arquette seemed to have a terrific relationship, complete with their own production company and an adored daughter. However, cracks started to form, and in 2013, the couple parted ways. Cox told Harper's Bazaar "I think every relationship has a point where you stop and reevaluate. ...I think that's a normal thing to do, but it's so much harder when it's done publicly."

However, despite the split, it seems both parents remained devoted to ensuring Coco's happiness. Cox said to Harper's Bazaar "She's our number-one priority. No matter what happens, she'll be okay because she knows that she is completely safe, loved, and we'll protect that more than anything in the world." Co-parenting seems to be very important to the family. According to E!, in an episode of Running Wild with Bear Grylls, Cox said "I mean, as divorces go, I would say it's one of the better ones. For sure. We're good co-parents together."

While the marriage between Courteney Cox and David Arquette did not survive, their split led to Coco gaining new family on both sides.

Cox announced her engagement to Snow Patrol musician Johnny McDaid in 2014. On The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Cox explained that her engagement ring was custom designed and represents her, McDaid, and Coco. McDaid told Us Weekly that he is one of six children. He stated: "We're kind of growing as it is and Courtney and Coco often come over and we all have a big gathering."

Coco also gained new family on her father's side when he married actress/journalist Christina McLarty in 2015, making her the newest Arquette. Christina told InStyle, "The most important aspect was just to get our families together." Cox told Ellen DeGeneres that her daughter even sang "I Will Always Love You" for the newlyweds at their wedding. Coco's new stepmom told People, "Coco is just such a wonderful young lady. I'm so proud of her. ... I'm so fortunate for that as a stepparent, and that she has two great parents and everybody just gets along so great."

For the first nine years of her life, Coco was an only child, but that all changed in 2014. According to People, David Arquette and wife Christina welcomed son Charlie West into the world on April 28, 2014, giving Coco her first taste of life as a big sister.

But Coco's role as a big sister didn't end there. In 2017, David and Christina Arquette's family grew by another member as they welcomed son Augustus "Gus" Alexis Arquette into the world. According to David and Christina, family life is busy but fun. Christina told People, "They have a whole costume closet at our house. David dresses up, Charlie dresses up. I'm apparently supposed to be Poison Ivy at some point in time and Coco dresses as Batgirl, so we have a whole superhero theme going on at our house." David has posted several adorable photos of the clan on Instagram.

While Coco is still just 14 years old, according to her mother, she can come across as older than her years. In an interview with HollywoodLife.com when Coco was just 10, Cox said "She's into so much right now. ... It's like she is 30 but not!" That being said, Coco did enjoy one very popular childhood activity: sleepovers. While she may have enjoyed some childhood favorites, Coco has been prone to ambitious goals. 

Cox told The Ellen DeGeneres Show that 10-year-old Coco wanted to take charge of the wedding she was planning with Johnny McDaid, hoping to do everything from being maid of honor to flower girl to all the bridesmaids. However, Coco's plans never came to fruition as Cox and McDaid have thus far opted out of a formal marriage — though Cox told People, "I'm married in my heart." And hopefully, Coco will always be the maid of honor, flower girl and all the bridesmaids in Cox's heart.

As Coco has grown, she has developed a love of makeup. Even as a 6-year-old, Coco had strong opinions on makeup. Cox told Harper's Bazaar "I was walking out, and she goes, 'I don't want you to wear red lipstick.'" Since then, Coco's love of makeup seems to have continued to grow. "Makeup makes me feel very alive and happy and creative," she says in a YouTube makeup tutorial. 

Cox told NewBeauty, "Coco loves makeup and she expresses herself through it. One of her favorite shows is RuPaul's Drag Race. She thinks it's beautiful artistry and she's really good at it." Coco has even developed some skills that Cox hasn't mastered. Cox stated "I don't like seeing highlighter during the day. Well, to be honest, I don't even know how to use it." But Coco isn't just into makeup. Cox told NewBeauty, "She's really into taking care of her skin." She also told Harper's Bazaar, "I had no idea about sun damage. Coco's more on it."

Courtney Cox famously appeared in a video for Bruce Sprinsteen's "Dancing in the Dark," and Coco followed in her mom's footsteps, having already appeared in two music videos as a young teen. In the music video for Monogem's "Wild," Coco plays a girl who is having a good time with her best friend. Monogem told LADYGUNN "Amidst the kids' smokey, neon reality, the boy is cross dressing for the first time in a safe and comfortable environment without any judgement."

Coco also appeared in the music video for Foy Vance's "Coco," a song written for her. Cox told People, "Johnny [McDaid] brought Foy into my life a few years ago, and, immediately, he became a very close friend. He also got to know my daughter, Coco, and a song was born." Of the song, Cox told People, "From the first time Foy played 'Coco' for me — and every time I've heard it since — I've felt he captured, not only Coco's unique personality but also the beautiful childhood innocence that sadly, but inevitably, fades with time." The music video also provided a unique mother-daughter experience, as Cox directed the video. 

While Coco may not be a dead ringer of either of her famous parents, she is following in her parents' footsteps in one regard: her love of acting. However, the young teen's heart appears to be with musical theater. As a skilled singer and actress, Coco has appeared in countless productions. 

Cox told ET, "Coco is really into musical theater and she's done probably 22 plays already. ... She's obsessed even more than her school work." But Coco isn't just appearing in musicals — she is starring in them. "She was in Addams Family. She just got the part of Mimi in Rent, so she's really excited," Cox told ET. Cox also told The Ellen DeGeneres Show that Coco had previously taken on the epic role of Elphaba in Wicked. Cox isn't Coco's only big fan, though. "She's so incredible. I just saw her in a new play she did after school. She sang and she's just so confident," her father David Arquette told Yahoo Entertainment.

While she was born into fame, in many ways she's still just a normal teenager facing normal teenage issues. Cox told People, "I want her to tell me everything, and she doesn't want to tell me anything." While Coco's relationship with her mother may seem strong, it is not without occasional drama. "We bicker, let's be honest, but we love each other," Cox told People. "It's mostly me telling Coco, 'Please get out of your room and come and have dinner in the kitchen.' There's a lot of that, for sure."

However, in spite of the occasional tiff, there's still a lot of love. In an interview with PeopleTV, Coco said "If the stressful situation is going on, she helps me contain my stress and make me feel better." Coco also told People, "I would also describe it as, well, I am a 13-year-old girl, you [Cox] are a mom, so I love you, but of course we're gonna get in fights. But we're very close. Very close. I love you a lot."