The recent backlash faced by Lily Collins for her baby announcement has thrown the spotlight on the broader trend of celebrities receiving widespread criticism for posing with their surrogate babies.
The Emily in Paris star and her husband, Charlie McDowell, announced the arrival of their first child via surrogacy on January 31.
As they revealed the name of their child, Tove Jane McDowell, they also expressed their gratitude for their “incredible surrogate” for helping bring their little bundle of joy into the world.
Highlights
- Lily Collins faced backlash for posing with her surrogate-born baby.
- The backlash sheds light on the broader trend of celebrities being scrutinized for choosing surrogacy.
- Stars like Khloé Kardashian, Paris Hilton and Gabrielle Union have spoken about their experiences in the past.
Lily Collins was criticized for posing with her surrogate baby, forcing her husband, Charlie McDowell, to intervene
Image credits: lilyjcollins
Critics wasted no time in pointing fingers at the couple, accusing them of “buying a human baby.”
“I think the ‘Rent a Womb’ culture is gross (unless there is a medical reason). All that is just to keep looking like a beanstalk,” one said.
McDowell was forced to address the hate with a comment on his wife’s social media post.
He urged netizens not to “spew hateful words into the world,” especially when it’s related to a “beautiful baby girl who has brought a lot of love into people’s lives.”
Image credits: lilyjcollins
Parham Zar, CEO and Managing Director of Egg Donor & Surrogacy Institute (EDSI), believes the strong public reaction to celebrity surrogacy announcements could be because of both the visibility of their lives as well as the deep societal biases related to surrogacy.
“What is truly missing is education around fertility, options such as surrogacy, and the very real choices that families have to make for their personal lives,” said the EDSI founder.
“As an example, surrogacy was illegal in the New York until a couple of years ago, because of two very different sources: The Catholic Church and Gloria Steinem. Go figure,” he added.
The backlash Collins faced sheds light on the broader trend of celebrities being scrutinized for choosing surrogacy
Image credits: khloekardashian
Just like Collins, another star who took the path of surrogacy to welcome her son Tatum was Khloé Kardashian.
The reality TV star had given birth to her daughter, True, in 2018, before she and Tristan Thompson welcomed their second child, Tatum, via surrogacy in August 2022.
Visuals of Khloé Kardashian with her baby in her arms on The Kardashians raised eyebrows online.
“Something is off with people becoming parents via surrogacy and then taking pictures in a hospital bed with a new born,” said one social media user, who called it “completely unnecessary” and said sharing a picture of the tiny tot in a bassinet would have been enough.
“Makes me feel a bit sick,” another wrote.
Image credits: Hulu
On the reality TV show, Khloé admitted she felt “guilty” when she went to the hospital following Tatum’s birth and wished someone had prepared her for it.
“It's such a transactional experience because it's not about him,” she said on the show.
Paris Hilton is also no stranger to the backlash of opting for surrogacy.
The socialite and singer previously revealed to Glamour that she had been “traumatized” after watching a woman give birth during her time on The Simple Life. Since then, she became terrified of childbirth and chose to welcome son Phoenix and daughter London via surrogacy.
Stars like Paris Hilton and Gabrielle Union, who previously had nine miscarriages, also opted for surrogacy
Image credits: parishilton
Image credits: Prime Video
The backlash against her was swift, with one saying: “And now adding Paris Hilton to the list of celebrities that have used surrogacy to procure a child.
Calling the practice “abhorrent,” the same user asked, “Is this just going to be normalised?”
Another celebrity couple who detailed their journey to parenthood via surrogacy was Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union.
After nine miscarriages, an ecstatic Union shared pictures of them cradling their new family member in a hospital bed following their surrogate baby’s birth.
Dwyane Wade defended their choice of holding the baby in the hospital right after birth for skin-to-skin contact
Image credits: itsgabrielleu
Wade said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that the most “hurtful thing” at the time was seeing people question why his wife was holding the baby and “acting like she just had a baby.”
“Once again people are uneducated on the process and we decided to go skin-to-skin as soon as our baby came out,” he explained.
Alice Naylor-Leyland, a friend of Princess Beatrice's, didn’t hesitate to pose with her surrogate baby from a hospital bed as she welcomed her fourth child.
In one post, Naylor-Leyland said she is “aware it was greedy” to tend to her desire to complete her family.
Image credits: tominmalton
After miscarriages and many complications, she was told by doctors that she could no longer carry a baby, which pushed her down the path of surrogacy.
She then expressed her gratitude for her surrogate mother’s “kindness and courage” for helping her round out her family with her husband, Tom Naylor-Leyland.
Other popular figures, such as gossip blogger Perez Hilton and hairdresser Joseph Ryan Wayne, faced similar reactions when they shared pictures of themselves with their surrogate babies in their arms in a hospital bed.
Perez welcomed his son and two daughters with the help of a surrogate mother, while Wayne welcomed twins Dylan and Kyle with his husband, Nathan, in 2024.
“Be brave and transparent and share your experience,” expert Parham Zar told Bored Panda
Image credits: theperezhilton
Despite growing numbers of surrogate babies, the process is still surrounded by a number of misunderstandings.
When asked about the most common misconceptions about surrogacy, Zar said that would be a “very long list.”
“However I can give you some examples: ‘The surrogate is the baby’s legal mother.’‘It’s all about the money.’ ‘Surrogacy is only for the rich and famous.’ 'Surrogates are exploited,'” he listed.
Image credits: liveactionorg
There could be a variety of reasons behind choosing surrogacy, and for some, it might even be the only path to becoming biological parents.
Fertility issues, wanting to avoid a high-risk pregnancy, and even personal choices could be reasons for why someone might opt to become a parent through surrogacy.
A number of same-sex couples can also indulge in the joys of parenthood with the help of a surrogate mother.
Regarding how celebrities can responsibly share their surrogacy journeys without inviting undue criticism, Zar suggested: “Just like Lily: Be brave and transparent and share your experience. EDUCATE.”
For some people, surrogacy is the only option for them to become biological parents
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