Celebrity Parents Who Had Their Kids Via Surrogate
Bet you don’t know what Kristen Wiig, Anderson Cooper, Kim Kardashian, Nicole Kidman and Dwyane Wade all have in common. No, not the part where they’re all super glam celebs whose lives we’d love to borrow any day. It’s the fact that these stars all went the surrogate route to have kids! And honestly, celebrities having babies via surrogate may be way more common than you’d expect.
The reasons that celebrities — just like, you know, all other human people — turn to surrogacy are varied, whether they’re same-sex couples, single parents, or struggling with infertility… or a myriad of other reasons. And plenty of stars (including Amy Smart and Elizabeth Banks, for example) speak openly about their choice to use a surrogate, seeing the discussion as an opportunity to share their years of fertility struggles in hopes that their stories will help other families.
Kim Kardashian West is another high-profile mom who’s candid about her choice to use a surrogate to have two of her kids. “I love my surrogate, we have a really good relationship,” she told Entertainment Tonight in April 2018 of the surrogate who gave birth to baby Psalm. “I really trust her and I definitely see, like, the first time that I went through it, I was a little bit more anxious, and texting more and calling more, and I feel like my surrogate this time around, really is such a protecting person and I really trust that in her.”
We love to see stars who are unafraid to get candid about the many ways it’s possible to grow your family, and how they made their decisions. Ahead are several dozen celebs who had kids through surrogacy, and what they’ve had to say about the process.
A version of this article was originally published in June 2017.
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Riki Lindhome
Riki Lindhome secretly welcomed a baby boy via surrogate in March 2022, but she only revealed the news to People in July 2024. Little Keaton was born just a couple of weeks after Lindhome started dating Saturday Night Live alum Fred Armisen. She told him she wouldn’t be mad and it wouldn’t make him a jerk if he didn’t want to raise Keaton with her.
“I told him, ‘So you just tell me what your heart says, and he said ‘Yes.’ It was just insta-family, basically.”
The couple then secretly tied the knot in June 2024.
Kristen Welker
Meet The Press moderator Kristen Welker and her husband John Hughes welcomed two babies via surrogate. Their daughter, Margot Lane, was born in 2021, and their son, John Zachary, was born in 2024.
“I think when you’re embarking on a surrogacy journey for the first time, it is a huge leap of faith,” Welker said, saying she wondered if she would have an instant connection with Margot.
“We bonded immediately,” she told People. “She looked up at me, I looked down at her and told her that I love her more than the entire world and all of the fears I had immediately disappeared. [So] I really have been able to enjoy this second surrogacy journey. This experience has been very different.”
After baby John’s birth, Kristen called her surrogate an “angel on earth.”
Clare Crawley & Ryan Dawkins
Clare Crawley and Ryan Dawkins welcomed a baby girl via surrogate in Jan 2024.
“She’s here!” Crawley announced on her Instagram Story with a picture of her and Dawkins hugging in a hospital room. “Healthy + Beyond Loved. Dream come true.”
This is the couple’s first child together. Dawkins has two daughters from a previous relationship.
The Bachelorette alum shared that they were expecting in July 2023, saying on Instagram, “Our laundry is about to get a whole lot cuter in 2024. This TRULY is what my dreams are made of! I can’t tell you how hard it has been to hold this secret in!”
Rebecca Jarvis & Matthew Hanson
Rebecca Jarvis and Matthew Hanson welcomed their second child, Leo, via surrogate in Nov. 2023. The ABC News correspondent and her husband announced their happy news on Good Morning America with the help of their 4-year-old daughter Isabel.
Jarvis did seven rounds of IVF before getting pregnant with her daughter. When she was ready to welcome Baby No. 2, she did IVF and suffered a miscarriage at 5 months pregnant. And so her doctors told her surrogacy would be her “best path forward.”
“One of the things that we really talked a lot about beforehand was whether or not we could even ask another person to do something like that with their body,” Jarvis said. “It was really through the process of talking to a lot of people, and then getting to know our angel, our surrogate, and understanding that she considered this one of the greatest things she could do, one of the greatest gifts that she could give the world.”
When her surrogate did get pregnant, Jarvis found herself holding her breath for a “very long time.”
“I — probably in some ways to protect myself and my family — didn’t want to feel that massive excitement and that massive joy until I really felt that it was truly a sure thing.”
“But when I did allow myself to feel that way, it was truly the best feeling. To be able to look at Matt and say, ‘We are having a baby. We’re having another baby. Isabel is going to have a little brother. Our family will be a family of four.'”
Paris Hilton & Carter Reum
Paris Hilton and Carter Reum surprised everyone in 2023 by announcing they secretly welcomed a baby boy into the world via surrogate. She told People, “It’s always been my dream to be a mother and I’m so happy that Carter and I found each other. We are so excited to start our family together and our hearts are exploding with love for our baby boy.”
And they did it again by announcing they welcomed a daughter named London in late 2023. Paris shared the news to her Instagram with the caption reading, “Thankful for my baby girl????????”
Hilton and Reum have been together since late 2019, marrying in Feb 2021.
Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban welcomed their daughter Faith Margaret via surrogate on December 28, 2010. The couple, also parents to daughter Sunday Rose, said in a statement: “Our family is truly blessed, and just so thankful, to have been given the gift of baby Faith Margaret. No words can adequately convey the incredible gratitude that we feel for everyone who was so supportive throughout this process, in particular our gestational carrier.”
Tyra Banks & Erik Asla
Tyra Banks became a mom in January 2016, when she and partner Erik Asla welcomed son York Banks Asla via surrogate. The America’s Next Top Model creator, who underwent years of unsuccessful IVF treatments, called York her “miracle baby.”
Sarah Jessica Parker & Matthew Broderick
Actor Sarah Jessica Parker gave birth to son James Wilke (with husband Matthew Broderick) in October 2002, and seven years later revealed that their family would be expanding. “Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick are happily anticipating the birth of their twin daughters later this summer with the generous help of a surrogate. The entire family is overjoyed,” said a publicist.
Marion Loretta Elwell Broderick and Tabitha Hodge Broderick arrived in June 2009.
Jordana Brewster & Andrew Form
In September 2013, Fast & Furious actor Jordana Brewster announced that she and husband Andrew Form had welcomed a son, Julian Brewster-Form, via surrogate. Brewster revealed that going into motherhood, she had a preconceived notion that she had to have it all figured out. “I’m pretty type-A and pretty organized and when I had Julian that all went out the window. There’s no way to prepare,” she admitted. Her second son, Rowan Brewster-Form, was born in 2016.
Neil Patrick Harris & David Burtka
How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris and his partner David Burtka became parents of a son and a daughter via surrogate in October 2010. The actor shared the news on Twitter: “Gideon Scott and Harper Grace entered the Burtka-Harris fold. All of us are happy, healthy, tired, and a little pukey.”
Elizabeth Banks & Max Handelman
In March 2011, actor Elizabeth Banks revealed she and husband Max Handelman had welcomed a son, Felix Handelman, via surrogacy, writing on her blog: “The one true hurdle I’ve faced in life is that I have a broken belly. After years of trying to get pregnant, exploring the range of fertility treatments, all unsuccessful, our journey led us to gestational surrogacy: We make a ‘baby cake’ and bake it in another woman’s ‘oven.'” Her second son, Magnus, was born a year later, also via surrogate.
Lucy Liu
Former Charlie’s Angel Lucy Liu had her son via gestational surrogacy. In August 2015, she shared a photo of her newborn on Instagram alongside the caption: “Introducing the new little man in my life, my son Rockwell Lloyd Liu.” In 2013, Liu said she wanted children but that it “just hasn’t happened yet.”
Elton John & David Furnish
Elton John and his partner David Furnish got the best Christmas present in 2010: a baby boy called Zachary. Little brother Elijah arrived via the same surrogate in January 2013. Of the surrogate, a source said: “Elton and David love this lady like a sister and they feel indebted to her for life.”
Amy Smart & Carter Oosterhouse
Actor Amy Smart and husband Carter Oosterhouse welcomed daughter Flora via surrogate in December 2016. The Just Friends star announced the happy news on Instagram, writing: “Feeling so grateful to have her in my arms… after years of fertility struggles I give thanks today to our kind, loving surrogate for carrying her.”
Giuliana & Bill Rancic
TV host and reality star Giuliana Rancic and her husband Bill Rancic welcomed a baby boy, Edward Duke Rancic, via gestational carrier in August 2012. The couple later revealed their plans to add to their family, but sadly their surrogate suffered a miscarriage in 2014.
Ricky Martin & Jwan Yosef
Singer Ricky Martin became a dad in August 2008 when his twin sons Matteo and Valentino were born via a surrogate. In 2011, Martin said while he was relieved to be “diaper-free” for the moment, he would still “like a little girl.” And his wish was granted: Daughter Lucia was born in 2018, followed by son Renn in 2019.
Ellen Pompeo & Chris Ivery
Five years after giving birth to daughter Stella, Ellen Pompeo and Chris Ivery welcomed another little girl, Sienna May Ivery, in September 2014 via surrogate. And little brother Eli Christopher Ivery was introduced to the world in December 2016.
Dennis Quaid & Kimberly Buffington
Actor Dennis Quaid and now-ex-wife Kimberly Buffington welcomed fraternal twins, Thomas Boone and Zoe Grace, via surrogate in 2007. “God has definitely blessed us,” the couple said in a statement. Quaid also has son Jack Quaid with actor Meg Ryan.
Perez Hilton
Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton turned to surrogacy to become a dad of three: son Mario Armando Lavandeira III and daughters Mia Alma and Mayte Amor. Announcing Mia’s birth on Instagram, Perez wrote: “It is with great pride and relief that I can finally announce: I am a dad again! The road to this birth has been a difficult journey, quite different from the first time, and my son and I are overjoyed at this happy and healthy addition to our family. Every child is a blessing and this Mother’s Day was extra blessed for me and my mother!”
Angela Bassett & Courtney B. Vance
After trying to conceive for seven years, actor Angela Bassett and husband Courtney B. Vance were overjoyed when they finally became parents to twins Bronwyn Golden and Slater Josiah in January 2006 via a surrogate. “Just standing there together, holding each other with the realization that this is the moment that we’ve been working toward, praying for… [it’s a dream come true],” said Bassett of watching her twins being born.
Tom Ellis & Meaghan Oppenheimer
Lucifer alum Tom Ellis and wife Meaghan Oppenheimer welcomed their first child together via surrogacy in Nov 2023! On Nov 9, they shared a photo of their newborn daughter with the caption reading, “Our daughter Dolly Ellis-Oppenheimer was born on November 8th and within five hours of being alive, she single-handedly ended the SAG strike. We love her. Huge thank you to our amazing surrogate ??.”
Tara Lipinski
Tara Lipinski and her husband Todd Kapostasy welcomed a baby girl via surrogate in Oct. 2023. The happy news came after multiple rounds of IVF, four miscarriages, and a diagnosis of endometriosis.
“I have really incredible news to share!” the Olympic gold medalist said on TODAY. “Todd and I have a baby girl, Georgie Winter, that arrived into our arms by the most beautiful surrogate.”
Georgie Winter Lipinski Kapostasy will likely go by her precious nickname, Gigi, and yes, “Winter” is a nod to her mom’s figure skating career. How sweet!
“My doctor had me playing my favorite song [in the delivery room] and I’m bawling because I think there was just so much relief of, ‘Is this five-year [fertility] journey over?'” Lipinski said. “And then immediately, the baby is out, screaming, and on my chest and we’re doing skin-to-skin and it was one of those moments like, ‘How did my life just change so quickly and is this a dream? Because it feels like it.'”
Surrogacy wasn’t something Lipinski wanted at the start, she told TODAY. She said she and her husband hit “obstacle after obstacle,” and after the “grueling” five years and the “really traumatizing” fourth miscarriage, they decided to connect with a surrogate.
“[Finding out our surrogate was pregnant] was just so surreal,” she said on her podcast. “It couldn’t have been happening to us like we don’t get this news, this doesn’t happen to us. I almost didn’t believe it. I was just sobbing. But like, that ugly sobbing of just years of all of this trauma pouring out of my eyes.”
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is a proud dad of five, two of whom — twins Ella and Mateo — he welcomed via surrogate in July 2017. They were born in 2017, seven years after their brother Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. who Ronaldo shares with an unknown previous partner. The soccer player also shares kids Alana (b. Nov. 2017) and Bella (b. 2022) with girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez. Tragically, Bella’s twin Angel died.
Bryan Greenberg & Jamie Chung
Bryan Greenberg and Jamie Chung welcomed twins boys via surrogate in Oct. 2021. Chung got candid about her and Greenberg’s decision to use a surrogate, and part of their reasoning was her career.
“People probably think, ‘Oh, she’s so vain. She didn’t want to get pregnant,’ and it’s much more complicated than that. For me, personally, and I will leave it at this, it’s like, I worked my ass off my entire life to get where I am,” Chung told Today. “I don’t want to lose opportunities. I don’t want to be resentful.”
“I was terrified of becoming pregnant. I was terrified of putting my life on hold for two-plus years. In my industry, it feels like you’re easily forgotten if you don’t work within the next month of your last job. Things are so quickly paced in what we do,” the actress continued. “So it’s a compromise that we made together as a couple.”
Zach Gilford & Kiele Sanchez
After a long fertility journey that included a tragic late-term miscarriage in 2015, Kiele Sanchez and Friday Night Lights star Zach Gilford decided to have a baby via surrogate. They welcomed daughter Zeppelin Adele in Nov. 2017. “It’s been a long, painful journey for us,” the couple told PEOPLE. “Zeppelin is the light of our lives.”
Erin Andrews & Jarret Stoll
After a 9-decade-long fertility journey — which included IVF, freezing embryos, and a cervical cancer diagnosis — sportscaster Erin Andrews and former NHL player Jarret Stoll welcomed a baby boy in July 2023 via surrogate, a rep told TODAY.
Andrews has been open about her journey, especially in a raw personal essay about her seventh round of IVF.
“You could go through this whole experience and get absolutely nothing out of it — that’s the crazy part,” she wrote in 2021. “It’s a ton of money, it’s a ton of time, it’s a ton of mental and physical anguish. And more times than not, they’re unsuccessful. I think that’s why a lot of people choose to be quiet about it.”
“Now that it’s my seventh time, something just hit me. Why am I keeping this such a secret when this is just a part of our lives? Instead of feeling ashamed, we need to give ourselves more love. It freaking sucks, because it can seem like it’s such a lonely thing. There are so many of us going through this though, and it’s just not talked about.”
Chrissy Teigen & John Legend
Just five months after welcoming their third child, daughter Esti, Chrissy Teigen and John Legend announced the arrival of their fourth, a son born via surrogate!
The couple reached out to a surrogacy agency in 2021 prior to becoming pregnant with Esti, and shortly after Teigen conceived, a surrogate also became pregnant with one of their embryos. The Cravings author became so close with her surrogate, Alexandra, that she and Legend named their son after her — baby Wren Alexander.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson & Justin Mikita
Jesse Tyler Ferguson & Justin Mikita welcomed their son Beckett via surrogate in July 2020 and their son Sullivan in Nov. 2022. While partnering with Enfamil (aka his favorite baby formula brand), Ferguson told SheKnows that he and Mikita had a great relationship with their surrogate and her husband.
“It’s a big gift that she’s giving us, and it was a very meaningful relationship, and it continues to be a meaningful relationship,” he says. “And it’s truly a beautiful thing that surrogates do for families who are looking to expand their families who can’t do it on their own. So I’m so grateful for her and her and her husband.”
His advice to parents considering surrogacy is to not overthink all the decisions that need to be made.
“Obviously, it’s important to take care and be thoughtful with these decisions,” he says. “But also not to get bogged down too much because there are another four steps after the one you just made.
Tan France & Rob France
Tan France and his husband Rob welcomed two sons via surrogate. After the birth of their son Ismail in July 2021, France publically thanked his surrogate.
“Our Surrogate is doing so great, post-labor,” he wrote when he announced Ismail’s birth on Instagram, “and we couldn’t be more grateful for the greatest gift in our lives. ??”
The second time around, France told PEOPLE that he and Rob once again had a “wonderful” relationship with their “incredible” surrogate for Baby No. 2.
“The only thing that’s different [this time] is that she’s out of state, so we don’t get to see her in real life as much, but we see her on FaceTime or Zoom,” he said. “We text regularly, and so it’s been great.”
Casey Wilson & David Caspe
Casey Wilson and David Caspe welcomed Baby No. 3 via surrogate, which she revealed in Jan. 2023 with a sweet Instagram post.
“This is the dawning of the Age Of Aquarius!” the Happy Endings actress wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of her newborn daughter. “Our angel Frances ‘Frankie’ Rose Caspe is here! Delivered by another angel, our surrogate and friend, Stacy whom we love and are immeasurably grateful for. Surrogacy is women supporting women in its highest form and it has been a profound experience. Uplifting and inspiring.”
This is the SNL alum’s first daughter. She also shares sons Max Red, 7, and Henry Bear, 5, with Caspe. “Frankie Rose is more than I could have ever imagined,” she continued. “She completes the sacred circle of mother and daughter I have longed for. I’m on the other side this time- wishing Grandma Kathy could see her and hoping (knowing) she can. Her arrival is healing and joyful. We move forth! Hand in hand. With women ushering us in and onward.”
Hilaria & Alec Baldwin
Hilaria Baldwin opened up about her and husband Alec’s surrogacy journey ahead of her podcast appearance on Witches Anonymous. She took to Instagram to share, “Some of the best advice I was given when considering surrogacy was to be open and talk about it. ‘People stop talking about things they are ashamed of… and this is a beautiful journey where many people work so hard to bring a soul into the world.'”
The mom of six continued, “When Marilú was born, I didn’t feel that the world was a safe place for me to share. So many opinions and articles questioning her existence brought me to tears at a time when I was overjoyed with the birth of my daughter. Nearly 2 years later, I’ve done a lot of healing work and am committed to speaking up, sharing our beautiful story, and fighting ignorance.”
Baldwin wrote, “There are some that are committed to misunderstanding, there are those who choose to judge if they don’t get it, there are those who are afraid to ask because they know our world is shut down by fear of saying the wrong thing and offending, and then there are those who welcome love in all its different shapes and sizes. You won’t offend me with your questions so bring them.”
She shared, “The most common are: do I feel the same way about her that I do my other children? Do my kids treat her differently? Did the woman who carried her feel that she was her child? Am I friends with the woman who carried her? Tune in while @therealstaffordand @michellecampbell and I share our ivf and surrogacy journeys. There are both laughs and tears in our coven today. There was so much more I wanted to say… it’s the story of my daughter’s birth, and it was such a beautiful one. Marilú, you belong, just as you are. I’m so proud and grateful for our journey and being your mama. I’ll save the rest for next time ??”
If you’re interested in learning more, you can listen to the podcast episode here.
Rebel Wilson
Shocking the world in November 2022, Rebel Wilson took to Instagram to announce the arrival of her daughter. The Australian actress wrote, “Beyond proud to announce the birth of my first child, Royce Lillian, born this past week via surrogate ??”
She continued, “I can’t even describe the love I have for her, she’s a beautiful miracle! I am forever grateful to everyone who has been involved, (you know who you are), this has been years in the making…but particularly wanted to thank my gorgeous surrogate who carried her and birthed her with such grace and care. Thank you for helping me start my own family, it’s an amazing gift. The BEST gift!!”
Adrienne Bailon & Israel Houghton
The Cheetah Girls star and her husband, Israel Houghton, welcomed a son via surrogate in August 2022 after years of fertility struggles. “If you have followed our love story… you know that our journey to baby has been very challenging — But God is true to His word and His promises,” the blissful new mom posted on Instagram. “We have quietly prayed while sitting on this most magnificent secret for the last 9 months. He is worth every tear, every disappointment, every delayed prayer, every IVF cycle, every miscarriage. Everything.”
Khloé Kardashian & Tristan Thompson
Despite their rocky on-and-off relationship, Khloé Kardashian and Tristan Thompson broke the news in July 2022 that they were going to welcome another child together via surrogacy. In Aug 2022, their bundle of joy arrived, further shocking everyone in this whirlwind relationship. They also share one daughter named True Thompson.
Laura Benanti & Patrick Brown
In July 2022, Younger alum Laura Benanti announced on Instagram that she and her husband of 6 years, Patrick Brown, had welcomed their second daughter via surrogate. “Please welcome to the world Louisa Georgia Benanti-Brown,” the caption began. She thanked the anonymous surrogate, who she called an “angel on earth,” saying that she “carried our precious girl and delivered her into our arms; an other-worldly generosity of spirit, body, and kindness that can never be repaid.”
Shayne Lamas
The winner of The Bachelor season 12 welcomed her son Lyon in 2015 via surrogate, and not just any surrogate: Lamas’ stepmother, Shawna Craig, offered to carry and give birth to the child since Lamas had recently experienced a traumatic miscarriage.
“I was shocked that my dad was on board with this, to be 100 percent honest,” Lamas told Closer at the time. “But I’ll always be grateful.”
Kim Kardashian & Kanye West
While Kim Kardashian gave birth to her first two children with husband Kanye West, she suffered from placenta accreta while pregnant with both North and Saint, and suffered from preeclampsia with North as well.
So, for Chicago and Psalm, Kim and Kanye turned to a surrogate — and Kim’s been vocal about some challenges that presented for her. “It is frustrating to not be able to do it on your own,” she said. “It is a weird dynamic. Like, I go to all the doctors’ appointments and I try to be really present, but when you’re not carrying it yourself, it is such a fine balance of how much you’re going to be in their lives.”
Jimmy Fallon & Nancy Juvonen
Jimmy Fallon and wife Nancy Juvonen welcomed daughter Winnie via a surrogate in 2013, and daughter Frances Cole (also via surrogate) in 2015. Fallon went on the Today show to discuss the couple’s fertility struggles: “We’ve tried a bunch of things,” he shared. “Anyone who’s tried will know, it’s just awful.”
“We tried for a long time, for five years,” the host added. “I know people have tried much longer, but if there’s anyone out there who is trying and they’re just losing hope . . . just hang in there. Try every avenue; try anything you can do, ’cause you’ll get there. You’ll end up with a family, and it’s so worth it. It is the most ‘worth it’ thing. I’m just so happy right now. I’m freaking out.”
Gabrielle Union & Dwyane Wade
Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade welcomed their first child together, daughter Kaavia, via surrogate in November 2018. In an emotional Women’s Health interview, Union opened up about the process of deciding to use a surrogate.
“There’s nothing more that I wanted than to cook my own baby … the idea of it felt like surrendering to failure,” Union explained. “People want to see the bump, hear that you got hemorrhoids — they want to know you’re like them. I was like ‘This is going to seem like the most Hollywood sh*t ever. Will I be embraced as a mom?’ It’s terrifying.”
George Lucas & Mellody Hobson
George Lucas and wife Mellody Hobson welcomed daughter Everest in August 2013 via surrogate. Everest is Lucas’s fourth child, joining his adopted children Amanda, Katie, and Jett. Everest is Hobson’s first child.
Chris & Deanna Daughtry
Musician Chris Daughtry welcomed two children with wife Deanna via surrogate: fraternal twins Adalyn Rose and Noah James. After a partial hysterectomy in 2006, Deanna was no longer able to get pregnant, so the couple turned to gestational surrogacy when they wanted to expand their family.
“Our family is overwhelmed with joy by these two precious gifts from God,” Daughtry wrote on his website at the time. “The babies are both healthy and resting. Thanks to everyone for their love and prayers.”
Andy Cohen
Andy Cohen welcomed son Benjamin via surrogate in February 2019, and chatted with Today’s Hoda Kotb about why he chose to use a surrogate instead of adopting a few weeks later.
“I was fortunate to have the means to be able to. It can be expensive and complicated,” Cohen explained. “And I just said, ‘I’m going to do this, I’m going to try to do this,’ and I did. It’s incredible to me as I’ve now learned that surrogacy is illegal in many states, and I don’t understand why it’s illegal in New York and New Jersey, which is why I went to California. That’s where my wonderful surrogate was, who I owe so much to.”
As to the decision to have kids: “It was always in the back of my head, and I’d be at friends’ houses and they’d be tucking in their kids and I was like, ‘I need this in my life,'” Cohen said on Today. “I was getting to a point in my life where I was looking at where am I going and where am I headed and what do I want for the rest of my life.”
Cohen then welcomed daughter Lucy via surrogate in April 2022.
Nate Berkus & Jeremiah Brent
TV personality Nate Berkus shared in 2014 that he and husband Jeremiah Brent were expecting their first child via surrogate. Both Berkus and Brent shared a gushing message on Facebook announcing the news.
“Wanted to share some exciting news….We have had the most special year and its JUST become even more beautiful. We are happy to announce that we are expecting our first child!” the message read. “While we can’t share much, we can say that thanks to a surrogate and the support of those we love we will officially be a family in the spring of 2015!”
Poppy Brent-Berkus was born in 2015, and baby Oscar Brent-Berkus followed in 2018.
Kelsey & Camille Grammer
Of Kelsey Grammer’s seven children, two were born via surrogate: son Jude and daughter Mason, who he shares with ex-wife and Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Camille Grammer. Camille discussed the choice to use a surrogate on her blog in 2012.
“Speaking of childbirth, I had my children through surrogacy,” she wrote. “If you can’t get pregnant for whatever reason, it’s great to know that there are options available for people that want to have a family. I wish I could have had that experience. I’m just so grateful I had a wonderful surrogate who carried our two children. I have two amazing angels in my life that I love so much. They are such a gift and a blessing from God.”
Ryan Murphy & David Miller
Ryan Murphy and husband David Miller have two sons via a surrogate: Ford (b. 2014) and Logan (b. 2012).
“It’s amazing to be two dads and we have a wonderful surrogate,” Murphy told E! News in 2014. “It’s so uplifting and I’ve enjoyed sharing our story with young gay families.”
Murphy got into details on the birth too: “It was an amazing birth…37 weeks and a day and he was a chunker, 7 lbs 13 oz. David and I were there and pulled him out and cut the cord and cried and it was pretty amazing. And now look at me I’m crying again.”
They also share son Griffin who was born Aug. 2020.
Matt Bomer & Simon Halls
Matt Bomer and Simon Halls share three sons (twins Henry and Walker, and older brother Kit), all born via surrogate. Bomer told People in 2014 that being a father was a “profound gift” and “the most daunting challenge.”
“I just want to be hopefully somebody who helps shape these souls without changing how they came into the world,” the White Collar star said of his kids. “To just give them the structure they need to thrive in the world but at the same time let their own personalities shine through. Some days that’s easier than others.”
Kristen Wiig
Oh-so-sneaky actor Kristen Wiig and fiancé Avi Rothman stealth-welcomed adorable twins via surrogate in spring 2020. Folks thought she may have been hinting at her impending motherhood on SNL that May: “I don’t know if I truly appreciated my mom the first 45 years of my life,” Wiig said on the show. “But this year I’m feeling especially grateful for her advice, her love. I’m so thankful for all the things she’s taught me, like preparing me to be a mom myself.”
Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper welcomed baby boy Wyatt Cooper via surrogate in April 2020. He announced Wyatt’s arrival with a heartfelt thank-you to his surrogate on Instagram:
“As a gay kid, I never thought it would be possible to have a child, and I’m grateful for all those who have paved the way, and for the doctors and nurses and everyone involved in my son’s birth.”
“Most of all, I am grateful to a remarkable surrogate who carried Wyatt, and watched over him lovingly, and tenderly, and gave birth to him. It is an extraordinary blessing – what she, and all surrogates give to families who cant have children. My surrogate has a beautiful family of her own, a wonderfully supportive husband, and kids, and I am incredibly thankful for all the support they have given Wyatt and me. My family is blessed to have this family in our lives.”
Cooper welcomed son Sebastian in Feb. 2023. Later that year, he revealed that his late mom Gloria Vanderbilt had a “batshit crazy” offer to be his surrogate.
Nick Jonas & Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas became parents in January 2022, announcing the arrival of their first child on Instagram. “We are overjoyed to confirm that we have welcomed a baby via surrogate,” read the couple’s statement. “We respectfully ask for privacy during this special time as we focus on our family.”
Grimes & Elon Musk
Grimes revealed in an interview with Vanity Fair that she and Elon Musk welcomed their second child together in late 2021 via surrogate — a baby girl whose full name hasn’t yet been revealed, but that they’re calling “Y.” She joins big brother X ? A-12, born in May 2020.
Grimes revealed that she and Musk had wanted more kids, but a difficult pregnancy with their son made it dangerous for her. “The last month of her pregnancy with X, she couldn’t walk,” says Vanity Fair. “At one point during the pregnancy, she thought she was dying. ‘Like, I hemorrhaged. It was scary.'”
They also welcomed son Techno Mechanicus in Sept. 2023.
Maria Menounos & Keven Undergaro
After a 10-year battle with infertility, Maria Menounos and husband Keven Undergaro welcomed their daughter, Athena Alexandra, via surrogate in June 2023.
The unnamed surrogate, already a mother of two, told Us Weekly that she was able to bond in person with Menounos and Undergaro. “We spent time together and our families were able to meet and get to know each other as we prepared for delivery,” she said. “Keven and Maria played with our kids and our kids got to know them as real people. We shared meals, conversation, walks and life for those two weeks.”
Menounos had equally glowing words to say about her surrogate: “We love her and her family so much. They gave us the greatest gift ever. We still talk all the time and consider them family.”
