Lawyer says Assange fathered two kids with her while in Ecuador embassy

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange fathered two children with one of his lawyers while holed up in Ecuador's embassy in London for much of the past decade, according to a report Sunday confirmed by the mother.

The 48-year-old Australian is the dad of two boys, aged two and one, with lawyer Stella Morris, to whom he is engaged, she confirmed following a Mail on Sunday report.

Assange is currently being held in London's high security Belmarsh prison as he fights an extradition request by the United States to stand trial there on espionage charges.

Morris detailed the revelations shortly after the report emerged, in a video posted on social media by Wikileaks chronicling her five-year relationship with Assange and the arrival of their two children. "We fell in love," she said in the nearly 12-minute film, outlining how the romance began in 2015 - three years into his seven-year stay at the Ecuadorian embassy in central London.

"This is the person... I know the most in this world - he's extraordinary," the South African-born lawyer said.

Morris said she wanted to speak out now fearing Assange's life "might be coming to an end" due to his continued detention and the spread of coronavirus.

Jennifer Robinson, one of Assange's lawyers in Britain who introduced the pair to each other in 2011, according to Morris, also confirmed to AFP they were a family.

She said a statement by Morris outlining the situation had been cited as evidence in a failed court bid last month to get Assange bailed to avoid catching COVID-19.

"Despite her statement about their family and the medical evidence about the severe risk to Assange's health, the judge refused bail and refused to grant her and the children anonymity," Robinson said.

The British government plans to allow some prisoners temporary release, amid fears COVID-19 could sweep through jails, but a judge rejected the request on March 25, saying there were "no grounds" for his release.