Kim Kardashian & Kanye West
Though Kim Kardashian and her ex-husband Kanye West have since gone their separate ways, there was a time when they were perhaps the most iconic celebrity couple. Their large family - which included four children and their famous aunts and uncles - only heightened the buzz surrounding the dynamic duo, but it may surprise you to learn that two of the children were born via surrogacy.
Indeed, after her first two pregnancies, Kim Kardashian was diagnosed with placenta accreta, which can result in major blood loss during birth. Rather than risk it, Kardashian turned to surrogacy for her two youngest children.
Paris Hilton & Carter Reum
Like Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton made a name for herself on reality television. Also like Kim, Hilton is often painted with an unfavourable brush because of these prior escapades. Fortunately, the wealthy heiress and socialite has not let the negativity stand in her way of starting a family with partner Carter Reum. Coincidentally, it was actually Kim Kardashian who introduced Hilton to the idea of surrogacy.
Hilton welcomed her child in January of 2023 in a post on Instagram. Kardashian was among the first to comment and express her support.
Sarah Jessica Parker & Matthew Broderick
Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick are both terrific actors in their own right, and when they eventually became a couple, the press was anxious to find out when they would be welcoming their first child. James Wilkie, the couple’s first child, was born in October of 2002, but the couple were eager to grow their family even more. After all, Parker herself grew up in a large family surrounded by siblings. Unfortunately, the couple struggled to get pregnant.
Thankfully, with the help of a surrogate mother, Parker and Broderick welcomed twin girls in June of 2009. Now their family is bigger and happier than ever and, in Parker’s own words, James will not be solely responsible for their care in their advanced age.
Neil Patrick Harris & David Burtka
Neil Patrick Harris is one of the most acclaimed actors in television, best known for his early role as Doogie Houser and later as Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother. Though rumours surrounding his sexuality abounded in the early 2000s, Harris was quick to dispel them in 2006, announcing his relationship with actor/chef David Burtka. The two have been together since 2004, and in 2010, they became parents to twins, born via surrogacy.
Explaining the process, Harris noted how both he and Burtka contributed sperm after having found an anonymous egg donor. The surrogate mother was eventually found after assisting another couple.
Grimes & Elon Musk
The relationship between Grimes and Elon Musk was a controversial one, not least of all because of their own individual controversies and the naming of their first child, X Æ A-12 Musk. Nevertheless, though they have since gone their separate ways, Grimes and Musk had another child in March of 2022. Unlike their first, however, this one was born via surrogacy. The couple made the decision to conceive via surrogacy after Grimes’ struggles during her pregnancy.
Her nerves were constantly pressured, leading to excruciating pain and struggle with routine tasks. Rather than risk the life of her second child due to her internal hemorrhaging, Grimes made the decision to find a surrogate mother.
Jimmy Fallon & Nancy Juvonen
As one of the most beloved late-night show hosts of the 21st century, fans of Jimmy Fallon were over the moon to discover that he and his wife Nancy Juvonen had welcomed a child into their family. The news, however, came as a complete surprise - no one except the couple themselves knew that a child was on the way. Fallon and Juvonen had struggled with infertility (which they have openly discussed since the birth of their first child).
Fallon, wanting to surprise his friends, family, and audience, kept the news of their surrogacy secret. Since then, however, the couple have welcomed another child to their family, born via the same process.
Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban
What happens when one of the world’s most beloved actors partners with one of the world’s most beloved musicians? A match made in heaven, of course! Nicole Kidman, who is the critically acclaimed star of such films as Eyes Wide Shut and Australia, has two children with ex-husband Tom Cruise. She and Urban welcomed their first child in 2008. Speaking openly about their struggles with infertility, however, the couple were forced to consider other means of conception.
Luckily, Kidman and Urban welcomed their second child together in 2010, born via surrogacy. The announcement was defined by the couple’s unyielding gratitude towards everyone who had stood by them - and the surrogate mother who blessed them.
Kelsey & Camille Grammer
Sometimes the greatest love stories begin in the most unexpected of ways. Rather than meeting on a set or during a press run, Kelsey Grammer met his wife Camille on a blind date in 1996. Sparks flew and the couple soon married, eager to extend their family even further. Unfortunately, the two struggled with infertility (a matter they later discussed openly) and so were forced to consider other options when they were introduced to the idea of surrogacy.
After a lengthy screening process, the Grammers selected a surrogate mother who gave birth to their first child in 2001, and their second child in 2004. Since then, the Grammers have stayed in contact with the surrogate mother, and the two families are deeply interconnected.
Michael Jackson
The King of Pop had already welcomed two children into his family with ex-wife Debbie, born in 1997 and 1998, but after his divorce he was eager to welcome a third as well. Born in 2002 via surrogate, Prince Michael Jackson II was already in the spotlight whose birth set off a minor frenzy in the media. It didn’t help that Jackson’s first public appearance with his third-born was on a balcony in Berlin where Jackson held the boy over the railing.
Naturally, this caused an uproar in the media. However, Prince II has enjoyed a fairly lavish lifestyle since then and has never been too far away from his older siblings and the rest of his family.
Anderson Cooper
Anderson Cooper is no stranger to the spotlight, though as a broadcast journalist and political commentator, it’s safe to say that he is likely more used to skirting its edges rather than stand in its center. When he announced that he was expecting a child, however, he could not hope to avoid the attention he received. Wyatt Cooper was unveiled to the world in January of 2020, and fans of Cooper were over the moon.
Of course, Cooper knows how to give a crowd what it wants from time to time, and his Instagram feed was filled with pictures of his newborn bundle of joy. However, he never failed to thank the surrogate for blessing him with this gift.
Priyanka Chopra & Nick Jonas
As one of the “younger” couples on this list, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Nick Jonas and Pryanka Chopra would be a long way away from having kids. The truth is that the couple have been eager to start a family for years but wanted to wait for the right time. That time came on the 21st of January, 2022, when they welcomed their first child to the world.
The details of the pregnancy have not been disclosed, and we’re sure that the couple would prefer it to remain that way. Suffice it to say, their daughter was born via surrogacy and no official images of the little one have yet been released.
Andy Cohen
Like Anderson Cooper, Andy Cohen is one of the most recognisable faces in television, a proud gay man living life on his own terms. Though we don’t know much about his love life, we do know that he has always expressed interest in raising a family. Cohen finally became a father to little Ben in 2019. Just three years later, Ben became the older brother to a little girl named Lucy, born in April of 2022; both were born via surrogacy.
Since the birth of his children, Cohen has expressed gratitude to all the parties involved in bringing them into the world. However, besides their names, very little is known about them and out of respect for his family, we hope it stays that way until they come of age.
Khloe Kardashian & Tristan Thompson
As one of the infamous Kardashian sisters, all the news surrounding Khloe and her relationships has a way of spiralling. In fairness, the romance between her and basketball player Tristan Thompson does seem to have been something of a whirlwind. The couple previously had a child together before splitting, reconciling, and splitting again. After all of that, they announced that they were expecting another child together in 2022. Their son, Tatum, was born in July of that year.
Few other details surrounding the child have been released, besides the fact that he was born via surrogacy. Nevertheless, Khloe’s PR team have managed to stay on top of it all, managing the public’s expectations accordingly.
Jamie Chung & Bryan Greenberg
Jamie Chung and husband Bryan Greenberg are both no strangers to the screen; Chung, in particular, is used to the invasive nature of reality television. It was therefore relieving to see that when she announced her plans to freeze her eggs, the media did not pry into her reasoning or motivations. Still, some speculation arose - when would Chung and Greenberg start a family together? The answer turned out to be sooner than expected.
Chung and Greenberg welcomed twins in October of 2021. They elected to delay the reveal of their children due to privacy concerns, which no one can fault them for.
Alec and Hilaria Baldwin
Alec Baldwin and his wife Hilaria have one of the largest families in Hollywood. Since their marriage in 2012, the couple have raised no less than seven children together, not to mention Baldwin’s daughter from his previous marriage to Kim Bassinger. When the pair announced that they were expecting their fourth child - to be born via surrogacy - many eyebrows were raised, since Hilaria would have already been pregnant with their third.
Of course, the details are their business. However, we may get some insight into their family dynamics sometime this year; “The Baldwins”, a reality TV show depicting the Baldwin family, is set to air sometime in 2025.
Kristen Wiig and Avi Rothman
Kristen Wiig is one of the most beloved comedic actresses of our generation. Her time on SNL - in addition to her other roles in numerous films and TV shows - have endeared her to many audiences. Therefore, when she opened up about her struggles with infertility, fans’ hearts went out to her. This followed the announcement of the birth of her children, a pair of twins born via surrogacy.
Surrogacy was not Wiig’s first choice. The actress underwent three years of IVF treatment. After seeing no improvements, she and husband Avi Rothman elected to pursue surrogacy instead.
Lucy Liu
Through the history of successful single mothers, many are unwilling to accept the idea of a woman raising her child on her own, especially in Hollywood. Of course, that was never going to stop Lucy Liu, who has a history of playing exceptionally strong people in both film and television. She welcomed her child - a boy named Rockwell - in 2015 and has raised him as a single mom ever since.
The decision to have Rockwell via surrogacy was a natural one for her: she’s constantly working, after all, and couldn’t be sure when she would stop. Since then, Liu has become a great role model for non-traditional families all over the world.
Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden
When Cameron Diaz announced that she would be taking an indefinite hiatus from acting in 2014 to focus on her family, many were sad to see her go. However, Diaz and her husband Benji Madden found it difficult to start the family they so badly wanted. Diaz went through numerous procedures such as acupuncture and IVF to conceive, but the couple’s attempts were unsuccessful. They finally opted for surrogacy, welcoming their first child, Raddix, in 2019.
Since then, the couple have expressed their eagerness in expanding their family. Diaz has also started to grace our screens once again.
Angela Bassett & Courtney B. Vance
When it comes to star-power, Angela Bassett commands plenty. Alongside her husband Courtney B. Vance (whom she married in 1997), the couple have continued to prove their immense staying power in Hollywood. However, while many celebrities sometimes struggle to have personal lives as successful as their professional ones, the same can’t be said for Bassett and Vance.
Though the pair struggled to conceive a child on their own, they soon entertained the idea of surrogacy. Their twins, a boy and a girl, were born in 2006.
Dennis & Kimberley Quaid
Although Dennis Quaid doesn’t grace our screens as often as he used to, his son Jack from his marriage to Meg Ryan bears his father’s torch well, having starred in The Boys, Scream, and Oppenheimer, among numerous other interesting roles. Meanwhile, Dennis and his third wife Kimberley have continued to grow their family. As Kimberley was unable to conceive naturally, the couple began to explore the option of surrogacy.
And so it was that in 2007, they welcomed fraternal twins born via a surrogate mother. Both Dennis and Kimberley are the biological parents; the surrogate mother carried the twins to term.
Kandi Burruss & Todd Tucker
Kandi Burruss was already mother to two children before welcoming her third, Blaze, who was born via surrogacy. She and husband Todd Tucker already had one child together, and Burruss had had a previous child before that. Though these two were conceived naturally, the Real Housewives star was forced to consider surrogacy for her third, which she admitted was a difficult decision to make, but she was happy to make it to grow their family.
Burruss, however, emphasised the importance of the surrogate, Shadina, in guiding her through the process. Having just helped a previous couple with surrogacy, Shadina was in a unique position to help Burruss and Tucker.
Gabrielle Union & Dwayne Wade
In 2016, Gabrielle Union received the shocking news about her chances of becoming a mother. Her reproductive endocrinologist gave it to her straight: that she could only become a mother via surrogacy. Naturally, this news must have been difficult to accept, but it laid to rest the speculations of her previous doctors who ascribed her struggles with infertility to her age. However, this latest specialist had narrowed down the source of the issue: adenomyosis.
Union and husband Dwayne Wade first attempted IVF treatment. Finding no luck with that course of action, they eventually opted for surrogacy, finally welcoming a child of their own into the world in 2018.
Zach Gilford & Kiele Sanchez
Zach Gilford and Kiele Sanchez, both actors, were married in December of 2012. The wedding was attended by Jesse Plemons, a former co-star of Gilford and one of the couple’s closest friends. At that point, they were eager to start a family but soon ran into terrible difficulties. After several attempts at pregnancy and a devastating miscarriage, the couple eventually came to the conclusion that they were unable to conceive on their own.
Fortunately, they soon considered surrogacy, and in 2017, finally welcomed a little one of their own, a daughter named Zeppelin. The couple have expressed immense gratitude for their baby’s existence, describing her as the light of their lives.
Fredrik Eklund & Derek Kaplan
Sometimes things don’t go as planned. As two men, Fredrik Eklund and Derek Kaplan were unable to conceive naturally and so were quick to consider surrogacy. Unfortunately, the process was a lot more protracted and devastating than they would have liked. The surrogate mother suffered several miscarriages. Fortunately, while celebrating Eklund’s 40th birthday in Paris, the two received the news that they were to be parents after all. Now that’s a great birthday present!
The pair welcomed their children - a pair of twins - in November of 2017, describing them as the biggest things in their lives.
Shaun T & Scott Blokker
Shaun T and his partner Scott Blokker were eager to start a family when they got together, quickly seeking out a surrogate mother whom they found in a woman named Ashley. Their twins were born prematurely, but both Shaun T and Blokker have gone out of their way to express their love and appreciation for Ashley and her husband Michael. The two couples seem to have formed a deep friendship as Ashley and her kids even attended the twins’ baby shower.
Shaun T has described Ashley and her husband as selfless people, and Ashley herself as a remarkable, strong, and empowered human being.
Michael Turchin & Lance Bass
Michael Turchin and Lance Bass have been married since 2014, but it wasn’t until seven years into their marriage that they were finally able to welcome their children for the first time. Despite this protracted period, the pair had actually struggled for years to have kids before the birth of their twins, Violet and Alexander. The pair were set on having twins from the get-go and set themselves on that path.
Both Bass and Turchin had similar upbringings where they each had a sister and wanted their children to have the same experience.
Tyra Banks & Erik Asla
Although Tyra Banks and Erik Asla are no longer together, they were once one of the celebrity world’s most endearing couples. After all, what’s not to love? Both are blessed with exceptionally good looks, fame, and fortune. Unfortunately for the pair, there was an emptiness that could not be filled - the couple were unable to conceive naturally. But giving up didn’t get them anywhere in life and they were determined to have a child.
The couple welcomed their first child together at last in 2016. Though they have since split, they share parenting duties, and Banks has confessed to wanting even more children in the future.
Tan & Rob France
Tan France is one of the most beloved television personalities to come out of the modern era, so when he and husband Rob announced the birth of their child, fans of the fabulous fashion designer were over the moon. There were some complications, however. Their child, Ismail, was born seven weeks early and so spent a fair bit of time at the hospital before being allowed home with his two dads.
Nevertheless, the couple soon had their very own bundle of joy, which they announced in August. They have expressed nothing but love and gratitude for their surrogate mother, describing her as nothing short of courageous.
Becca Tobin & Zach Martin
Becca Tobin and Zach Martin are a quietly beloved couple, but they haven’t been without their hardships. The former Glee star battled to conceive for five years and suffered two miscarriages in the hopes of bearing a child. Even after IVF treatment, there seemed to be no hope for Becca and her hubby. That is, until the idea of surrogacy was brought up. After all that time, Becca and Zach were finally able to welcome their child into the world.
And though the hardships were many, the couple have stated that it has made everything in life that much sweeter and are happy that they went through the surrogacy process.
Andrew Form & Jordana Brewster
Producer Andrew Form and actor Jordana Brewster married in 2007 with the intent of starting a family together. Sadly, this comes easier for some than it does for others. For years, the couple tried to conceive without any luck. Even after several IVF treatments, they were unable to get pregnant. Then, in 2013, they finally welcomed their first child, born via surrogacy, and while grateful for their new bundle of joy, Brewster felt as though she owed the world an explanation.
She did not. Brewster eventually overcame the stigma surrounding surrogacy and the couple had another child in 2016. Though they have since split up, they remain grateful for the love they shared and the children it led to.
Elizabeth Banks & Max Handelman
Elizabeth Banks is a beloved comedic actress, director, and producer, but while her professional life continued to flourish, her personal life was floundering due to her struggles to carry a baby to term. Conceiving a child is a long and emotional process, and it must have been devastating for Banks and husband Max Handleman to go through so many struggles. Fortunately, they were eventually able to welcome two children into the world via surrogacy.
Banks remains proud of her children and the family around her, even if they didn’t come about as planned. Sometimes, that’s what miracles are made of.