The actor Jude Law has become a father for the fourth time, just two months after acknowledging that a model he had briefly dated was pregnant with his child.

The American model and aspiring actress Samantha Burke, 24, gave birth to a 5lb 12oz girl named Sophia on Tuesday night.

"Samantha Burke is overwhelmed with joy at the arrival of her beautiful and healthy baby girl, Sophia," Ms Burke's publicist, Eileen Koch, told People magazine. "The baby and mom are doing wonderful."

Law – who received Oscar nominations for his roles in The Talented Mr Ripley and Cold Mountain — met Ms Burke as he filming the upcoming Guy Ritchie film Sherlock Holmes in New York last year. In July the actor’s publicist confirmed that he was the father of Ms Burke’s child after it was revealed that she was seven months pregnant.

“Jude Law can confirm that, following a relationship last year, he has been advised that he is to be the father of a child due in the fall of this year," the actor's spokesman said. "Mr Law is no longer in a relationship with the individual concerned but he intends to be a fully supportive part of the child's life.”

Law, 36, already has three children to his ex-wife, Sadie Frost, and is the stepfather to her eldest son. After separating from Frost in 2003, Law became engaged to the British actress Sienna Miller, whom he met on the set of Alfie. However they separated in 2004 after he publicly apologised for having an affair with the nanny of one of his children.

Not much is known about Ms Burke. On her personal blog she describes herself as: “an actress, model, and soon-to-be mom!”

Ms Burke has used the site to defend accusations that she was a gold digger after it was revealed she was having Law’s baby, and said that she “didn’t choose to publish the story of my pregnancy”.

Ms Burke said that she had decided to set up the blog to “share who I really am with you”. She recently wrote: “So, if you are so interested in the story of this 'ordinary' woman having a 'celebrity’s' child, then read on.”

In her last entry Burke wrote that she “can’t wait” to give birth.

“Only a month to go until I welcome Sophia into this world,” she wrote this month. “I’m excited, of course, but a little anxious too.”

Law recently appeared onstage in London in the title role of the Donmar Warehouse production of Hamlet. He is now in New York preparing for the Broadway adaptation of the same production, which opens at the Broadhurst Theatre in October.

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