Jensen Ackles' Sweetest Moments With His Daughter JJ
Jensen Ackles has come a long way from defeating demons and otherworldly creatures on "Supernatural." These days, the actor is more partial to slaying bedtime excuses and fighting off tantrums. A father of three, Ackles has his hands full between family life, co-owning a brewery, and staying involved in the "Supernatural" franchise. His character in the series, Dean Winchester, stole many hearts, even earning him People's "Sexiest TV Star" by popular vote two years in a row.
Despite his popularity during the show's fifteen seasons, Ackles only had eyes for one person — his wife, Danneel Harris Ackles, who has been his significant other since 2006. After they married in 2010, the couple decided to expand their family, adding daughter Justice Jay (or JJ) in 2013 and twins Zeppelin Bram and Arrow Rhodes in 2016.
Though Ackles shares a special bond with all his children, fans have really gotten to see how he grew as a dad and a person throughout the first decade of JJ's life — and it's resulted in some super sweet moments!
She's responsible for him joining Instagram
Without social media, we wouldn't get to witness Jensen Ackles' adorable relationship with his daughter JJ, and we have her to thank for it! Before his first child came along, Ackles wasn't on Instagram, so we never got a behind-the-scenes peek at what life was really like for the actor.
But when JJ turned two, the "Days of Our Lives" actor decided to debut his Instagram presence with an adorable picture of him and her cuddling close. While the actor could have chosen any photo, he decided to share one of a cute fatherly moment. He captioned the photo, "Hello Instagram," but provided a longer explanation on X, formerly known as Twitter, "In an effort 2 squash some posers, my daughter is helping me start an Instagram profile. Chk it out. Hint: it's just my name." Fans were psyched to see Ackles on Insta, but they truly couldn't get over how he gave that precious first square in his feed to his toddler sidekick. We can fault him for wanting to share those sweet little chubby cheeks with the world!
Since then, JJ has been a regular on her dad's feed. Their joining Instagram was just the beginning of making the public say "aww" with his daddy-daughter duo antics.
They partnered up to support a good cause
Jensen Ackles uploaded a glimpse of a striking tattoo when he and his daughter Justice Jay rocked a sassy face while flexing their muscles. The pose was part of the #Flex4Forces challenge, which supported United States service organizations, but of course, Ackles didn't want to post a thirst trap of himself. Instead, he opted to go full dad mode, including his precious little one and even pulling a face alongside her. What makes it even more special is that his daughter was the tattoo's source of inspiration.
Justice Jay is often called JJ by her Hollywood father. However, it seems she has another nickname in the Ackles family — J-Bird. In 2017, Jensen Ackles debuted the impressive tattoo that spanned the entirety of his upper arm. It features a bird in mid-flight, with what appears to be a ribbon around its eyes. The bird is atop a background depicting the sun's rays filtering through the clouds and one falling feather. He captioned the post, "For my daughter JJ. Aka J-Bird or simply "Birdie," referencing his daughter's nicknames.
Fans have speculated about the meaning behind the tattoo, guessing at what type of bird was chosen to represent his eldest child and the purpose of the ribbon. Whatever the symbolization, we're sure it is special to Ackles and can't deny that it is a heartfelt way to show his daughter that she's never far from his mind.
He plays silly games with her
Jensen Ackles isn't afraid to show himself acting a bit silly if it means he gets to show off what a great dad he is. He's regularly shared goofy and adorable moments with his sidekick JJ. For example, she has helped him wash cars on the Fourth of July, made silly faces with him, and had plenty of time snuggling. Each photo proves that the rough and tough Dean Winchester was just a facade, and Ackles truly does have a softer side, especially when it comes to his daughter. Take a look at this sweet moment and see for yourself how smitten he truly is.
In a video shared to Instagram, Ackles is seen holding a much younger Justice Jay on his shoulders as he says "going up" before lifting her into the air. As soon as she reaches her tiny hand out to tap his finger, the "Smallville" alum bends forward, and they both fall onto the bed, with Ackles saying, "Going down," accompanied by his daughter's giggles. Fans gushed over how cute the moment was, with some saying that he is a natural father. He captioned the post that while his little girl thought they were just playing, he was covertly teaching her some pro-wrestling moves. The too-cute moment, which Ackles confirmed was a throwback, probably makes him wish time would slow down.
They performed a daddy-daughter song
While they may not have graced any stages together, Jensen Ackles and his daughter Justice Jay did give fans a performance. Fans of "Supernatural" know that Ackles truly can sing; he has recorded an album, given live performances at fan expos, and uploaded videos to his social media.
During quarantine, he showed his singing and guitar-playing chops by performing "Crowded Table" by The Highwomen. JJ and Ackles can be seen in the post sitting on their couch as he leads her in a darling rendition of the song. She falters for a moment before he gently encourages her, hinting that the chorus is about to happen. He shared that it was a way to keep their spirits up during a difficult time by reminding everyone that soon enough, they would be able to gather together once again.
Fans were just as blown away by Ackles' talent as they were by his parenting skills, proving that he's not just a dad — but a great dad. Maybe Justice Jay will have a future in Hollywood just like her father.
He gave her her first red carpet experience
In 2022, Jensen Ackles took his precious parenting moments off social media and to a public audience. He and his little girl, JJ, attended the "Zombies 3" movie premiere. It was JJ's first Hollywood red carpet (though it was actually blue) experience, and Ackles couldn't be happier being the one to share it with her. Posting a super-sweet photo of him and his eldest all dressed up to his Instagram, he gushed, "Proud papa moment. Took JJ to her first 'Hollywood Premier [sic].' She walked the carpet like a pro (a pro that held on tight to her dad)."
The duo walked hand in hand until the end, when JJ got to pose for a pic with some of the movie's cast, including star Meg Donnelly. It will certainly be a night JJ won't soon forget, and Ackles admitted neither will he and thanked Disney and Donnelly for the experience.
We're sure they'll have many more memorable moments as Justice Jay grows up, hopefully sharing them on social media so we can collectively swoon over what a rockstar dad Ackles is.