Stars Who Choose Surrogacy to Become Parents

By Nicki Gostin Posted Apr 3rd 2011 03:57PM

Last week, '30 Rock' actress Elizabeth Banks joyfully announced that she has become a mom to baby boy Felix, after she and her husband Max Handelman welcomed their bundle of joy via gestational surrogate.

On her blog, the comedic actress, 37, shared the "one true hurdle" she's faced in life, infertility.

"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,'" she wrote, citing "two miracles" in the process: the chance to develop a positive bond with their surrogate and her husband, and the chance to celebrate Felix's healthy birth.

Meanwhile, Banks is hardly the only celebrity who has found surrogacy successful after often-heartbreaking fertility challenges.

Now, many couples in Hollywood, both straight and gay, are happy to reveal that they chose surrogacy to fulfill their wish for a baby. As a solution not covered by standard insurers, it's usually only realistic for those who can afford the expertise of fertility doctors who participate in the process, and the medical expenses of a "gestational carrier." Here, examples of just some of the famous names who turned to surrogacy to be parents.

- In December, Nicole Kidman, 43, and her hubby, country music star Keith Urban, welcomed their second daughter together, Faith Margaret, born via a surrogate. On Australian '60 Minutes,' the notoriously shy Aussie actress opened up about the process.

"We were in a place of desperately wanting another child (they are also raising 2-year-old Sunday), and this opportunity arose for us. And I couldn't get pregnant, and we wanted another baby," Kidman said, tearing up. "Anyone that's been in the place of wanting another child, or wanting a child, knows the disappointment, the pain and the loss that you go through trying and struggling with fertility."

- Oscar nominee Angela Bassett and husband Courtney B. Vance tried for years to have children and were finally blessed with twins in 2006, daughter Bronwyn and son Slater, thanks to a surrogate.

- Elton John and husband David Furnish welcomed baby Zachary in December, with gratitude toward the surrogate who made the little boy's birth possible.

- Sarah Jessica Parker experienced pregnancy when she and Matthew Broderick welcomed son James Wilkie in 2002. The couple turned to surrogacy two-and-a-half years ago, and ended up celebrating the birth of twin daughters, Marion and Tabitha. Sadly, the pregnancy was not drama free: A police officer was accused of breaking into the surrogate's home in Ohio to steal items related to her pregnancy, including a plaster cast of her belly and ultrasound images, as part of an alleged scheme to sell the items to tabloids; he was convicted on multiple charges.

- Ricky Martin had twin sons Valentino and Matteo as a single father, thanks to a surrogate mother who delivered them in 2008.

- Dennis Quaid, already dad to a son with ex-wife Meg Ryan, became a father again with second wife Kimberley in 2007, when twins Thomas and Zoe were born via a surrogate. Quaid (who ultimately sued a hospital for a life-threatening overdose of medicine administered to the newborn twins) said after their birth, "God has definitely blessed us."
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- Golden Globe winner Katey Sagal and her husband had a daughter, Esme Louise, in 2007 with the participation of a surrogate.

- 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star Camille Grammer, recently divorced from Kelsey Grammer, had their two children, daughter Mason and son Jude, via a surrogate. Camille has said that her irritable bowel syndrome was a factor.

- Peri Gilpin, who played tart-tongued Roz on 'Frasier,' had daughters Stella and Ava via a surrogate, after years of failed fertility treatments to carry and deliver a baby herself.

- 'How I Met Your Mother' star Neil Patrick Harris and partner David Burtka are now the proud parents of twins, a son and daughter. After their 2010 births, Harris joyfully tweeted, "Babies!! On 10/12, Gideon Scott and Harper Grace entered the Burtka-Harris fold. All of us are happy, healthy, tired, and a little pukey."

- Former 'Good Morning America' host Joan Lunden has four children via surrogacy -- two sets of twins! The multiples were born two years apart (she also has three older daughters from her first marriage). Lunden was famously open about her experience pursuing motherhood with the help of a surrogate and many credit her with helping lift the veil of mystery that surrounded the practice years ago.

Tags: elizabeth banks, Nicole Kidman

Comments

(12)

Sunday 03 April

By jktejas

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I have seen several cases where surgacy works just the way it is intended. However, the selection of prospective surgate mothers should be handled with the prospective parents by an experienced and licensed psychologist who has an established program for screening potential surgates. Lawyers are not qualified to do this and too often problems arise if either of the parties are unstable. The legal work is routine, but the screening and selection process is usually labor intensive.

Monday 04 April

By stu

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i wish we paid for a surrogate. my wifes stretch marks make me puke.

By susan.nichols23

More power to them!!!!!!! They are people first, and stars second. Infertility is an extremely painful emotional roller coaster for any one. It is great that infertility treatment is available and surrogacy is an option

By courtney

to the openning poster of this thread some women have to use a surrogate for healthy issues even if they've had a healthy child previously and had secondary infertility like Sarah Jessica Parker did then there are others that use it for vanity issues of not wanting to gain weight

By Angiebaby

It's a good thing I'm past all this, but if I had of chosen to go this way for whatever reason, I would have wanted someone to carry MY baby, conceived with MY egg and a good, elligible sperm donor. I'd skip getting myself yoked to a friggin' man just to make a traditional family. It wasn't worth it last time.

By Harper

I can't understand how someone would want a child so badly that they'd buy babies like puppies.

By rose

Obviously Harper you have never had a child or probably never wanted one. I have been blessed with four children all conceived naturally but had I not been able to have had them I would not have had trouble hiring a surrogate. Some women have a deep yearning to have a baby and if they are financially able to go the surrogacy route when unable to conceive I say more power to them. They aren't buying babies like puppies they are utilizing methods that are available to them.

By nikkivo

OK. Let's get something straight In this context, surrogacy refers to a substitute womb. Men (like Elton John or Neil Patrick Harris) do NOT have children borne of surrogates; they enlist women to bear (presumably their) children through non-sexual insemination. In fact, if these female celebrity ova were not used in the insemination procedures, they, too, have not enlisted (physiological) surrogates. But to talk about about male surrogacy in this context is utterly ridiculous.

By Clara

But equally ridiculous was the analogy given of "cake baby." That was just revolting. But, yes, to use Ricky Martin and elton John as examples is inaccurate.

By Mr. Kidd II

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Was Katherine Heigl's baby both adopted AND a surrogate, or just adopted?

By jim

elton said his butt is still bleeding from having a baby news flash ricky said is is too

By Bubbles

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I would be A LOT more impressed IF THEY ADOPTED CHILDREN ALREADY HERE AND IN NEED OF PARENTS!!!! I am not impressed.

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