Surrogacy and egg donation are more common than ever, with celebrities leading the way as some of the most vocal supporters of the surrogacy process. Afterall, celebrities are humans, too, and the same biological constraints that hold true for the rest of us apply to them. Just like everyone else who wants to have children but isn’t able to get pregnant or carry a child on their own, many celebrities turn to surrogacy or egg donation in order to start their families.
Here are 50 examples of celebrities who used surrogates or egg donors in order to build their families.
1. Rebel Wilson
Rebel Wilson welcomed daughter Royce Lillian in November 2022. Royce was born via surrogate after Wilson went through a lengthy infertility journey, which began in 2019.
Of her surrogate, Wilson said, “Particularly wanted to thank my gorgeous surrogate who carried her and birthed her with such grace and care,” the new mom, 42, wrote. “Thank you for helping me start my own family, it’s an amazing gift. The BEST gift!!”
Source: People Magazine
2. Alec & Hilaria Baldwin
Alec & Hilaria Baldwin welcomed their 6th child via surrogate in September 2020, just months after Hilaria gave birth to their son, Eduardo.
Hilaria says of their daughter, “Our hearts are filled with gratitude. The Baldwinitos craved so much to have a little sister…. We are living each day, bonding, and grateful for all of the extraordinary angels who helped bring Lucía into the world.”
Source: People
3. Amy Smart and Carter Oosterhouse
After years of trying to conceive, Amy Smart and Carter Oosterhouse welcomed their first child via surrogacy in 2016. The little girl named Flora was welcomed into the world after Christmas.
While struggling with infertility, Amy says she didn’t know if she would ever be a parent. However, she became more open to alternative family-building methods as time went on. “I think it’s important to remain open to options. For example, I would never have seven years ago thought [about surrogacy]”, she says.
Source: Motherly
4. Anderson Cooper
This was not Oedipus’ fault. When Anderson Cooper’s mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, was 85 years old, she offered to serve as his surrogate mother, Anderson revealed on an episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
After Vanderbilt’s death, Cooper decided to use a surrogate for his son Wyatt Morgan in April 2020. This was almost a year after Anderson’s mother’s passing. Anderson is co-parenting Wyatt with his ex-partner of ten years, Benjamin Maisani.
Source: Page Six
5. Andy Cohen
Bravo star Andy Cohen, among those urging New York to pass a law allowing paid gestational surrogacy. However, there are still some dissenters. For example, Cohen had to leave the state to have children through surrogacy.
New York attracted Cohen to live his life freely live as a gay man. He thought it was unfair to look for a surrogate outside of his home state to have a child. Benjamin was born in early 2021 to a surrogate mother in California, where paid surrogacy is legal.
6. Angela Bassett & Courtney B. Vance
Angela Bassett’s real-life love story is fantastic. Her marriage to Courtney B. Vance has lasted more than two decades. Angela and Courtney married in 1997, three years after their first date. Later, they began trying to get pregnant.
Even so, it wasn’t exactly a smooth ride for the two. Angela and Courtney used IVF treatments as a means of conceiving a child. When the couple’s seven years of treatment were up, they decided to investigate surrogacy as an option. They welcomed Bronwyn and Slater into the world, thanks to the surrogate mother, on January 27, 2006.
During the realization that this is the moment they’ve been working for, praying for, Angela said, “It was just a dream come true.”
Source: People
7. Breanna Stewart (WNBA)
Breanna Stewart had a strategy when she suffered an Achilles injury in 2018.
Known to her fans as “Stewie,” the 24-year-old power forward had no idea when she’d be able to take a break from the court. So Stewart reasoned that now was the best time to freeze her eggs if she planned on getting pregnant. “I was like, ‘This is probably one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Breanna said.
Marta Xargay Casademont, Stewart’s former teammate, married her after just two years of dating Stewart. Ruby Mae Stewart Xargay was born on August 9 using Stewart’s frozen eggs.
Source: New York Times, People
8. Jimmy Fallon & Nancy Juvonen Fallon
Jimmy Fallon and his wife, Nancy, were very open about their choice to pursue surrogacy, though they withheld the fact that they were expecting until they announced their daughter’s birth. Daughter Winnie Rose was born in 2013.
The couple tried for 5 years to conceive on their own, but were unsuccessful. “We tried a bunch of things. Anyone who’s tried will know, it’s just awful,” he said. “So, we had a surrogate.”
The couple welcomed a second daughter, Frances Cole, via surrogate in 2014.
Fallon advises those struggling with infertility to remain optimistic. “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.”
Source: Today, US Magazine
9. Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden
It’s no secret that becoming a mother changed Cameron Diaz, but becoming a mother made her who she is today.
The 49-year-old actress and her husband, 42-year-old Benji Madden, have a one-year-old daughter, Raddix.
The former actress and her musician husband secretly welcomed their daughter at the tail end of 2019. They announced the great news in January 2020.
Asked about the secrecy, the Hollywood A-lister had this to say:
“While we are delighted to share this news, we also feel a strong instinct to protect our little one’s privacy. So we won’t be posting pictures or sharing any more details, other than the fact that she is cute!!” said Cameron.
Source: WTMJ-TV, Hello Magazine
10. Chris Daughtry
Rocker Chris Daughtry had thanked God for the birth of his twins on his website, but the woman who carried and gave birth to them deserves praise, too. Deanna Daughtry had been unable to have children because she had a partial hysterectomy.
Fraternal twins Noah James and Adalyn Rose were born with the help of a surrogate mother via gestational surrogacy. IVF techniques were used to create an embryo using Daughtry’s sperm and his wife’s egg, before implanting the embryos into the surrogate’s womb.
Daughtry welcomed his twins with this message: “Our family is overwhelmed with joy by these two precious gifts from God; the babies are both healthy and resting. Thanks to everyone for their love and prayers.”
11. Cindy Margolis and Guy Starkman
Cindy Margolis and husband Guy Starkman welcomed twin daughters with the help of a surrogate mother. The couple were already parents to a son, conceived after multiple rounds of IVF. Margolis and Starkman documented their IVF journey for a VH1 cable television show.
Due to numerous complications throughout the pregnancy, Margolis was advised not to carry another pregnancy.
Cindy Margolis, a supermodel, talk show host, actress, and author, is best known as a blonde bombshell. She is among the 50 Most Beautiful People by both People and TIME in 1999 and holds the Guinness World Record for the “Most Downloaded Woman.”
After her own experiences with IVF, she began battling congress regarding surrogacy and infertility issues.
Source: People, FertilityToday
12. Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is among the highest-paid athletes globally, and he has 240 million Instagram followers. Football fans, on the other hand, can’t get enough of Ronaldo’s “off-the-field” activities, too.
The football star and his girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez announced on Instagram in October 2021, saying they expected two new blessings to their family. While Georgina is the mother of Alana Martina, the other two mothers of his children remain a mystery to this day. In June 2017, he welcomed twins Eva, and Mateo Ronaldo, through a surrogate mother. Like their older brother, the four-year-old twins were born in San Diego.
Source: Now To Love, OK Magazine
13. Dennis Quaid & Kimberly Buffington
Dennis Quaid and his wife, Kimberly, welcomed boy/girl twins in 2007. A gestational carrier (a woman who carries the child of another person) was used by the parents.
Quaid says becoming a father changed everything. “It took my focus off myself, which is always good for an actor because actors are so self-involved,” he says. “And I’ve learned more patience. Hopefully!”
Source: Chicago Tribune, People
14. Derek Kaplan and Fredrik Eklund
In 2017, Derek Kaplan and Fredrik Eklund’s welcomed twin boys via surrogate. Kaplan and Eklund opened up about the joys and challenges of fatherhood for the first time when they decided to reveal that Fredrik is the biological father of Milla and Derek is the biological father of Fredrik Jr.
The parents-to-be have decided to keep their surrogate and egg donor identities secret to protect their privacy. However, after two miscarriages, the couple expressed their joy at finally welcoming the twins into their family.
As a real estate agent once said, “They’re sleeping well, but sometimes I think those two have a little side meeting. Their plan: “OK, today you’re going to be bad, and then when you go to sleep, I’m going to be bad. “They’re working together! Twins are a lot of work, but they’re also a lot of fun! I went to Twiniversity, read baby books, and even practiced diapering dolls. When it comes to having twins, it’s like going to college.”
Source: Daily Mail UK, Distractify
15. Dylan Lauren
A surrogate was used to ‘start her family’ for Dylan Lauren and husband Paul Arrouet because she was busy expanding her candy shop to new locations worldwide, she revealed in 2015. Four months ago, she and her husband, 44-year-old Paul, welcomed fraternal twins Cooper Blue and Kingsley Rainbow into the world. She explained why she thought surrogacy was a ‘wonderful option’ for her and her husband in an interview.
“We chose to use a surrogate as the way we wanted to start our family, particularly as I was traveling across the globe on a stressful schedule to get stores open,” said Dylan.
Source: People, Daily Mail UK
16. Elizabeth Banks & Max Handelman
When Banks and Handelman met in college, they were “madly in love,” so they decided to get married and start a family. A gestational surrogate helped the 30 Rock star realize her dream of having a child.
It wasn’t an easy decision to opt for surrogacy, but they are thrilled with the outcome.
“It was a womb issue for me. Embryos wouldn’t implant. It’s a big leap, inviting this person into your life to do this amazing, important thing for you. And it’s hard losing that kind of control. But our surrogate is so extraordinary, and she’s still in our lives. She’s like an auntie,” said Banks.
17. Ellen Pompeo
Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo and her producer husband have three children: Stella, Sienna, and Eli. Pompeo carried Stella herself. Each of them was born in 2009, 2014, and 2016. In 2014, Sienna May was born through a surrogate. Ellen Pompeo expresses her gratitude to the unnamed woman (or women) who gave birth to her children in her surrogacy quotes.
“This is an incredible thing to do with your life, to give the gift of carrying someone’s child. I am forever grateful and feel very blessed and grateful to her — she who will remain anonymous. I was there with her when they inseminated her, and we held hands. Then, I looked into the microscope, and I saw the embryo,” Ellen said in 2014 to Jimmy Kimmel.
Source: Insider, US Magazine, Romper
18. Elton John & David Furnish
Elton John and David Furnish are the fathers of two boys, Zachary, born in 2010, and Elijah, born in 2013. Both children were carried by the same surrogate, but have not found out who is the biological father of each child.
“We kept a scrapbook for Zachary with all his scans, emails with the surrogate, and key moments from the surrogacy, and we are doing the same for Elijah,” said David.
19. Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade
In her second book, “You Got Anything Stronger?” Gabrielle Union provides a memorable excerpt about her journey to parenthood through surrogacy. Dwyane Wade convinced Gabrielle Union to use a surrogate mother, even though she had previously resisted the idea, despite her doctor’s advice.
Surrogacy was the best option for the actress, who was diagnosed with adenomyosis after years of being misdiagnosed. Union’s condition causes endometrial tissue to grow into the muscular wall of the uterus. Having thickened tissue makes it more difficult to conceive and carry a child to term.
“I had been through an adenomyosis diagnosis and more miscarriages than I could confidently count, and all I could was nod. Your best chance for a healthy baby would be surrogacy,” said Union.
20. George Lucas & Mellody Hobson
69-year-old filmmaker George Lucas and his 44-year-old new wife, Mellody Hobson, welcomed a baby girl via surrogate on August 9, 2013. This is the first biological child for each of them. Lucas has three additional children through adoption.
The “Star Wars” creator once noted in a statement, “Children are the whole point of life. Even as I was getting divorced, I decided that taking care of the kids was the most important thing I could do. You have to open yourself up to it, but I don’t think there is any greater spiritual joy.”
Source: Business Insider, New York Times
21. Giuliana and Bill Rancic
When Giuliana and Bill tied the knot in 2007, they were already trying to start a family. In 2010, after undergoing two rounds of IVF, Giuliana became pregnant but miscarried. Before she began her third round of IVF, her doctor advised her to have a mammogram. After that screening, Giuliana was diagnosed with breast cancer. The couple then had to put their baby plans on hold while Giuliana underwent a double mastectomy and reconstruction.
The reality series “Giuliana & Bill” chronicled the Rancics struggle with infertility and Giuliana’s breast cancer diagnosis. They welcomed a baby boy via surrogacy in 2012.
In 2014, they attempted to have another child using the same surrogate, but sadly, the pregnancies ended in miscarriage.
“Putting my baby dream on hold was devastating, [but] whether you adopt or use a surrogate or have a child naturally, all that matters is you have a child,” said Giuliana.
22. Jordana Brewster and Andrew Form
Jordana Brewster was under the impression that she didn’t need to take time off after welcoming her first child by a surrogate in 2013.
“One of my closest friends said, ‘You should take maternity leave,’ and I was like, ‘I’m not able to carry my baby, so why should I get that? I should go straight to work. I was punishing myself for something I couldn’t help. It’s this beautiful, beautiful, incredible thing, but I struggled.
I think many people assumed that because I was young and an actress that I was using a surrogate to avoid gaining, I’d make this big deal out of announcing that I couldn’t carry, so that’s why Julian was born to a gestational surrogate. No one ever asked for the information. I would just offer it,” said Brewster.
23. Kandi Burruss
Real Housewives of Atlanta star Kandi Burruss is aware that every pregnancy, conception, and child is unique. She became a mother to three through a traditional pregnancy, IVF, and surrogacy.
Her second child was born as a result of IVF treatment. As Burruss puts it, it’s like a roller coaster. A total of two embryos were implanted at various points in the process. She said that only one ovulation had occurred, and she would not be giving birth to twins. However, as soon as she held her son for the first time, she realized that her IVF journey had been worth it.
“We both had daughters coming into our marriage, but this was for the both of us, us together, having a child together. This is something physically that you’ve got to want to do. This is not anything that you just do on a whim.” said Burruss.
When considering a third child, Burruss knew that IVF would be a difficult option, so they chose to work with a surrogate. Burruss was happy to have played a part in showing that surrogacy is not as unusual as it sounds.
“I feel like it did help a lot of people,” she told People. “I had a lot of people reach out to me after that and said that it helped them. And then, you know, it’s kind of normalized it for a lot of people who felt like it was something that they wanted to do but they felt scared to try it because of the judgment of others.”
24. Kara DioGuardi
In January 2020, Kara DioGuardi, a famous songwriter and former judge on American Idol, and her husband Mike McCuddy celebrated the birth of their son via surrogate after five years of trying to conceive naturally. But she has a lot more to tell.
The music publisher learned she is a carrier of the BRCA2 gene mutation, which leads to hereditary ovarian and breast cancer. In 2012, DioGuardi decided to undergo hysterectomy surgery to remove her uterus, fallopian tubes, and other reproductive organs—a move medical experts believe will significantly reduce the risk of her developing these cancers.
“In December 2011, I found out I had a BRCA2 gene mutation, which my doctor said meant my chances of developing breast cancer over my lifetime were as high as 80 percent, and up to 30 percent for ovarian cancer. My grandmother had breast cancer, and my mother [passed away after she] was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at 50,” said Kara.
25. Katey Sagal
In 2007, Katey Sagal and Kurt Sutter conceived their daughter together through a surrogate. As a result of Katey’s age, she could not carry the child, but with the help of a surrogate, their “little miracle” was born. They were looking into surrogacy while mulling over adoption. They were able to have a child due to the surrogate arrangement.
Source: Huffpost UK
26. Kelsey & Camille Grammer
Like many other couples around the world, Kelsey Grammer and Camille could not conceive a child together. Because of Camille’s Irritable Bowel Syndrome, giving birth to a child would put her health at risk. A surrogate mother was chosen to help them start a family.
Juliana, a surrogate mother, was introduced to the couple. Kelsey’s sperm and Camille’s eggs were combined to create several embryos, which were then transferred into Juliana’s uterus and carried to term. Their daughter, Mason, was born in 2001 as a result of the surrogate pregnancy.
“I was immediately impressed that Kelsey wasn’t your typical Hollywood person. He was very down to earth… like meeting your next-door neighbor. I felt very relaxed with them. We decided at that first meeting that it was a go, that we would try for it,” said the surrogate.
Source: The List
27. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West
Kardashian and West have four children together: daughter North (born June 15, 2013), son Saint (born December 5, 2015), daughter Chicago (born January 15, 2018), and son Psalm (born May 9, 2019). Their last two children were carried by a surrogate.
Kim Kardashian West suffered from placenta accreta, which makes childbirth more difficult for the reality star. This common but dangerous condition necessitates surrogacy, even though she has previously spoken of how difficult it was to find a surrogate.
It’s common for the placenta, an organ that grows during pregnancy, to attach too deeply to the uterus wall during birth, making it difficult to detach and remove. On her blog, Kim Kardashian West detailed the agonizing process of removing the placenta following the birth of her daughter North.
“My doctor had to stick his entire arm in me and detach the placenta with his hand, scraping it away from my uterus with his fingernails,” Kim said.
Source: Insider
28. Kristen Welker
Kristen Welker and her husband John Hughes started trying for a baby as soon as they married in 2017. Unfortunately, doctors were called in when the NBC News White House correspondent couldn’t conceive independently. It was a devastating blow to the Weekend Today co-host after three years and numerous rounds of unsuccessful IVF treatments.
“I never imagined, and I think most people don’t, that you’re going to be one of the couples that will struggle with infertility. And yet, there we were. I consulted with four different doctors. The lowest moment was when that fourth doctor called me and said, ‘We’ve run all the tests.
We’ve looked at everything. We just don’t think that you are going to be able to carry a child.’ I thought, ‘How is this ever going to happen?
It was just a matter of how we were going to do it. Once you get beyond the ‘OK, it’s not going to be in the traditional way,’ then you start looking at the other options. Surrogacy felt like the right decision for us,” said Welker.
Source: The Philadelphia Inquirer, NBC
29. Kristen Wiig
The Bridesmaids actress welcomed her first children, twins, with her partner, fellow actor Avi Rothman, in January 2016 via surrogate.
The family chose to keep the surrogacy private, but the former SNL cast has since opened about her journey to motherhood, which included three years of IVF. She said that he has been in her life for the past five years, and 3 of those years have been consumed by IVF.
While Wiig admitted to regularly injecting herself in airport bathrooms and restaurants, she said she chose to keep quiet about the experience because it was draining her emotionally. As a result, she predicted that she would discover that many other women were experiencing the same thing.
“Emotionally, spiritually, and medically, it was probably the most difficult time in my life. I wasn’t myself. There are so many emotions that go with it — you’re always waiting by the phone and getting test results, and it was just bad news after bad news. Occasionally there would be a good month, but it was just more bad news. So there was a lot of stress and heartache,” Wiig said.
30. Kyle Dean Massey and Taylor Frey
Broadway stars Taylor Frey and Kyle Frey fulfilled their fatherhood ambitions in October 2021, with the arrival of their first child via surrogate. For Massey, who portrayed Kevin Bicks in Nashville, becoming a father is a huge accomplishment, and he talks about the significance of having a baby.
“Knowing from a young age that I didn’t fit the typical mold, the opportunity to become a parent is something I had put out of my head for a long time,” Massey said.
“I think for a long time as a gay guy I told myself that kids aren’t what I wanted because it didn’t seem attainable. So I am just grateful for modern medicine, but even more so for generous women who sign up to help couples like us. We are so lucky,” responded Frey.
Source: People
31. Lance Bass and Michael Turchin
The news that Lance Bass of NSYNC and his husband, Michael Turchin, were expecting twins via surrogacy made Pride Month even better. In a movie-themed video, the parents-to-be revealed that they were expecting a baby.
The couple’s daughter Violet Betty and son Alexander James were born via surrogate in 2021.
Lance and Michael shared their experiences as first-time parents. In addition, Michael gave some insight into the process that he and his spouse had gone through.
“When we did the egg retrieval, the fertilized half, I fertilized half, and luckily, they all turned out great,” said Michael.
32. Lucy Liu
Lucy Liu welcomed her son, Rockwell Lloyd, via gestational surrogacy in 2020. Liu says she is savoring every moment of motherhood as her child grows at a rapid pace.
“It just seemed like the right option for me because I was working and I didn’t know when I was going to be able to stop. I decided that was probably the best solution for me, and it turned out to be great.” said Liu.
33. Marissa Jaret Winokur and Judah Miller
Judah Miller (writer of King of the Hill), the husband of Broadway star Marissa Jaret Winokur (DWtS), welcomed their first child by surrogate. Their son, Zev Isaac Miller, was born in 2008. Marissa is a cervical cancer survivor and thought she might never have children. The new mom said that she couldn’t believe that their baby had arrived, and she described her son as having a “Winokur face and a Miller body”.
Source: Access Online, People
34. Matt Bomer and Simon Halls
Matt Bomer is the father of three biological sons born via surrogacy. Matt hasn’t always been forthcoming about his private life, and his children aren’t in the entertainment industry, although they’ve gone to industry events with Matt and his husband.
“There’s a level of love that dissolves a lot of egotism and self-absorption. But, I mean, don’t get me wrong, I have my moments.
[This type of question] would have been a small part of a day [in the past] which now also includes a drop-off at school in the morning and baseball practice and a lot of other things that take precedence,” said Matt.
Source: Distractify, ABC News
35. Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson’s first two children, Prince and Paris Jackson, were carried by Debbie Rowe, who was a traditional surrogate. Jackson impregnated Rowe artificially with his own sperm cells.
During an interview for the 2003 documentary, Michael Jackson admitted also using a surrogate to conceive Blanket. Martin Bashir asked him about the procedure, and he explained it to him. A surrogate mother was used, but Jackson used his sperm cells. As the San Diego Union-Tribune reported in July 2009, Blanket’s birth certificate does not include the mother’s name, but the surrogate was later identified as a Mexican nurse named Helena.
Source: Mirror UK, Newsweek, TheList.com
36. Nate Berkus & Jeremiah Brent
The second child of Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent, Oskar Brent-Berkus, was born in 2018 and joined their first daughter, Poppy. A surrogate mother gave birth to both Poppy and Oskar. The interior designers were more than happy to talk about it when asked. They shared that Poppy was involved from the beginning of the process. Throughout the pregnancy, they tried to make her feel as if she was a part of the process and excited for the arrival of her brother.
As a result, she met the surrogate, went to doctor’s appointments, and received ultrasound images. Poppy’s father made sure she knew when and how her brother would arrive. When asked about the surrogates, Berkus said they had formed “lovely relationships” with both and that they would be “thanking them forever.” According to the fathers, Poppy was thrilled from the beginning and had no problem-making room in her heart for a new sibling.
Source: USA Today
37. Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka
Neil Patrick Harris’ greatest joy is to be a father than any other role he has ever had in film or television. The How I Met Your Mother star and his partner, David Burtka, welcomed twins Harper and Gideon into the world in 2010.
On Twitter, Neil and David announced the birth of their twins via surrogate. “Babies!! Gideon Scott and Harper Grace entered the Burtka-Harris fold. All of us are happy, healthy, tired, and a little pukey,” said Neil.
In June 2021, Neil posted a picture of himself with his arms around his children as he celebrated his birthday. In the caption, he wrote, “These are my two favorite gifts,” with the hashtag “grateful.”
Source: Closer Weekly, Daily Mail UK
38. Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban
Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have two daughters together, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret. Kidman also has two older children, Connor and Isabella, whom she adopted.
Kidman gave birth to her first child, a daughter named Sunday in 2008, after making her pregnancy public. Faith, on the other hand, was born in 2011 via surrogate. At the 2011 SAG Awards, Kidman gushed, “I wanted to be able to tell everybody because I was so excited about her.”
“We just decided that this was our thing together. It just perpetuated itself, and so than at the end, we just went, ‘OK. We’ll make an announcement,” Nicole said.
39. Perez Hilton
Perez Hilton’s two daughters and son were born via surrogate.
When Mayte Amor was born via surrogate in October 2017, Perez Hilton became a father for the third time. By Hilton’s count, his surrogate was pregnant for 41 weeks when she finally gave birth. Mayte tipped the scales at 7 lbs, 4 ounces.
Mario, born in 2013, and Mia Alma, born in 2015, are Mayte’s older siblings. All his children were conceived using donor eggs from the same surrogate, and he was the biological father of all of them.
As a result of his experiences with surrogacy, he hopes that commercial surrogacy laws will become more uniform across the United States, making the process easier.
Source: Gay Star News, People
40. Ricky Martin
Ricky Martin and his husband, Jwan Yosef have 4 children through surrogacy.
In 2008, Ricky Martin and his partner welcomed twin boys via surrogate. After the birth of Matteo and Valentino via gestational surrogacy, Martin took a leave of absence from his career to devote himself to their upbringing. However, Martin was as honest as he could be when they were old enough to inquire about their origins.
“Dad, I was in your tummy the whole time. After which, I told him, ‘you were and still are in my heart. You were brought into this world by a woman I love with all my heart. You were born in her womb, and she handed you over to me when you were ready. So, after saying “OK,” he continued to play, “opined Ricky.
On New Year’s Eve 2018, Martin and Yosef announced via Instagram that they had welcomed a baby girl, Lucia Martin-Yosef. And in 2019, they announced that baby boy Renn Martin-Yosef was the latest addition to their happy family.
Source: Distractify, Oprah
41. Robert De Niro
With the help of a surrogate mother, Robert De Niro, and his then-girlfriend Toukie Smith became the parents of twin boys in 1995. Even though their romantic relationship ended shortly after, they still shared a deep bond. New York residents De Niro and Smith both shared the responsibility of raising their children.
De Niro later married Grace Hightower and they welcomed a daughter via surrogate in 2011.
“I love my children, just being with them,” he gushed in April 2019. Grace and De Niro separated in 2018, and their divorce is very much still up in the air due to ongoing legal issues and more.
Source: Deseret News, People
42. Sarah Jessica Parker & Matthew Broderick
Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick have 3 children together. Their first son, James Wilkie, was carried by Parker herself. Then in 2009, the couple suddenly made a statement about expecting twins via surrogate, just as the news was about to break.
Parker explained her decision to use a surrogate mother.
“Well, you know, we’ve been trying to expand our family for several years, and we have explored a variety of ways of doing so. So this was one of the things we discussed with the seriousness that had real possibilities for us,” she said.
Source: Today
43. Shayne Lamas
A son was born to former Bachelor star Shayne Lamas and her husband, Nik Richie, after her stepmother acted as a surrogate for the couple. Shayne lost a baby boy she was carrying after a rare uterine rupture. Though doctors performed emergency surgery, they were unable to save the couple’s son and the operation resulted in the removal of Lamas’ uterus and half of her bladder.
Shayne said of the surrogacy, “Somebody else carrying your baby is weird. But I lost my son, and now Shawna is carrying my son. I have just been given the biggest blessing in the whole world and I will always be grateful.” Lamas said of her stepmother, “She’s an angel that blessed my whole family, including my father.”
44. Shonda Rhimes
Rhimes is a mother of three and lives in Los Angeles with her family. She adopted her daughter Harper in 2002, her son Emerson in 2012, and then had Beckett in 2013. Beckett was born in 2013 to the American television writer, showrunner, and producer via gestational surrogacy.
“One of the most generous women I’ve ever met offered to carry my child for me.
[My kids] couldn’t be more different from one another, but they’re all stubborn — and I mean that in the best way. They will never be exploited. They have already made up their minds that they will always do things their way,” Shonda said.
Source: Shonda Land, Surrogacy Law, Face2Face Africa
45. Tan France
A surrogate gave birth to Tan France’s and husband Rob’s first child, a boy, in 2021. The fashion expert, who was born in Doncaster, announced the birth of their son Ismail France on the social network Instagram.
“Please welcome our son with open arms. It’s been three weeks since he was admitted to the newborn intensive care unit because he was born prematurely and seven weeks early,” France said.
“We finally got to take him home today, though. He has a special place in our hearts. We are obsessed. This is the greatest gift we could have ever received,” he continued.
46. Taylor Dane
Taylor Dayne vowed to overcome any obstacle to fulfill her dream, including the fact that she didn’t have a partner to have children with.
It wasn’t long after a string of “relationships where nothing stuck” that Taylor turned her head toward adoption in the hope of having a family; however, the pop singer discovered herself heading down the new route that would ultimately lead her to parenthood when she heard about surrogate mothers.
While on Broadway, Taylor was confronted with the “mind-boggling” prospect of having biological offspring after uncovering that the use of a surrogacy arrangement was illegal in her state. The soon-to-be mom-to-be, who lives in both New York City and Los Angeles, described the experience as a “real process.” However, when Taylor found out her surrogate was carrying twins, the hectic schedule was well worth it.
“I went for it, and I did it as a single mom,” Dayne says of surrogacy. “I’m very proud of this achievement, and I’m very proud they chose me and I’m their mom.”
Source: People, OK Magazine
47. Tuc Watkins
In 2011, Tuc Watkins came out as a gay single father of twins. Going public about his sexuality became important to the One Life to Live actor once he had children. According to his account, some actors are genuinely private individuals. Straight actors are seen as having integrity if they keep their personal lives private. On the other hand, when gay actors keep their sexual orientation a secret, it’s seen as a sign of weakness or weakness. Despite the double standard, he was genuinely excited about becoming a father and couldn’t help but talk about it.
Tuc says of surrogacy, “I had such a great experience, it’s all I want to talk about. An amazing woman who lives in Texas was my surrogate, and with her husband and three kids, it’s like we were all a team. I had such a great experience that it really is all I want to talk about to anyone who will listen.”
Source: ET
48. Tyra Banks
Tyra Banks’ IVF journey has been both challenging and inspiring, as she has openly discussed her struggle with infertility and multiple IVF failures in front of the world’s media. Her son was born through surrogacy in 2016 after she had been trying to conceive naturally for several years.
During an interview with Chrissy Teigen for FABlife in 2015, Banks revealed that she had struggled with infertility and had gone through IVF while trying to shield herself from the media’s direct questions about conception.
While urging people to stop questioning about pregnancy, she said on TV: “I want to co-sign what Chrissy Teigen is saying and say ‘You have no idea what people are going through.'”
Source: People, Infertility Aid
49. Vern Yip
Vern, an American interior designer and television personality has been open about his sexuality and proudly shared his life with his long-term partner for many years. Yip and his partner are proud parents to two children, a son and daughter, both of whom they welcomed via surrogate.
Yip’s children are a source of joy in his life, in addition to his work as a home designer. Vern has found the final piece of the puzzle in the form of his children after experiencing the joy of parenthood with his partner.
Of his children, Yip says, “I want them to be able to pursue something in life as a profession that they’re passionate about. For me, it’s also been incredibly fulfilling to have a family.”
Source: Live Ramp Up, People
50. Zach Gilford and Kiele Sanchez
After “Kingdom” actress Kiele Sanchez tragically miscarried, a surrogate helped her and husband Zach Gilford have a baby girl. The couple welcomed their daughter Zeppelin in 2017.
“We have always wanted to be parents, and Zeppelin has made our dreams come true,” the couple said.
Source: ET
Staci Swiderski, CEO and owner of Family Source Consultants, has been a prominent leader in reproductive medicine for over two decades. Through her strategic vision and dedication, she has developed Family Source Consultants into a globally recognized agency specializing in comprehensive egg donation and gestational surrogacy services. Under Staci’s leadership, the agency has become a trusted partner for intended parents, surrogates, and egg donors worldwide, known for its rigorous standards, compassionate support, and commitment to excellence in third-party reproduction.
Her professional insight is uniquely informed by her own family-building experiences. As an intended parent, Staci welcomed her son via gestational surrogacy in 2005, and as a known egg donor, she assisted an infertile couple in expanding their family. These experiences lend a rare depth to her leadership and have fueled her ongoing dedication to ethical, empathetic, and professional support within the field of reproductive medicine.