CircleBumpCheckedFilledMedicalBookmarkBookmarkTickBookmarkAddCheckBoxCheckBoxFilled

9 Celebrity Couples Who Used a Surrogate

When it came to starting—or expanding—their families, these celebs all needed a little helping hand.
save article
profile picture of undefined
By
Updated February 28, 2017
Hero Image
Image: Getty Images
9 slides
1
Image: Getty Images

Ellen Pompeo and Chris Ivery

All those years of a playing a character known for family secrets must have rubbed off on Ellen Pompeo. The Grey’s Anatomy star surprised the world in October when she revealed some big news of her own: She and her husband had welcomed their second daughter via a top-secret surrogacy. “The covert thing is kind of fun,” says Pompeo, who felt obligated to protect the surrogate’s privacy. “That was of utmost importance to me.” With the secret out, Pompeo posted the sweetest Instagram of Ivery kissing Sienna May, who joins big sister Stella Luna. (US Magazine)

2
Image: Getty Images

Jimmy Fallon and Nancy Juvonen

The late-night talk show host and his wife also kept their surrogacy under wraps. “We said, ‘We’re not going to tell anybody,’ ” recalls Fallon. “It’d be just more fun if it’s just private between me and my wife. And then we get to introduce her to everybody." When Winnie Rose finally made her debut, it was a big celebration for the happy couple, who for years had been trying to get pregnant. “If there’s anyone out there who is trying and they’re just losing hope . . . just hang in there," he says. "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.” (Today)

 

3
Image: Getty Images

Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent

Fresh off their May nuptials, the interior designer and his reality star husband announced in September on Facebook that their twosome will become a threesome in spring 2015. “We have had the most special year and it’s JUST become even more beautiful. We are happy to announce that we are expecting our first child!" Though they’re keeping quiet on the details of the surrogacy, there’s one thing we do know—that baby’s nursery is going to rock! (Facebook)

 

4
Image: Getty Images

Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick

Although SJP carried son James Wilkie, she had trouble trying the next time around. But with the help of a surrogate, the couple ended up with a double dose of happiness: Marion and Tabitha. Parker’s reaction when first hearing it was twins? “I mean, giggles! We didn’t expect it. I think after a certain amount of time, you tend to hold your hopes at bay a bit so as not to be disappointed. One really would have been thrilling and we would’ve felt incredibly lucky. And two was a comedy.” (Access Hollywood)

5
Image: Getty Images

Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance

“I had faith, so I never really got discouraged,” recalls Bassett about her emotional seven-year-long journey to start a family with fellow actor and husband Vance. The couple had been trying since the late ’90s before turning to surrogacy. Once they chose that route, they decided to be as involved in the pregnancy as possible and prepared accordingly. “We had watched a lot of births on the Discovery Channel so we wouldn’t faint when we got there," Bassett says.  And it must have worked because both Bassett and Vance looked on as Bronwyn Golden and Slater Josiah arrived via c-section.  (People)

 

6
Image: Getty Images

Elizabeth Banks and Max Handelman

When Banks faced issues that prevented embryos from implanting, The Hunger Games star and her husband turned to surrogacy. And they enjoyed the process so much they did it twice, welcoming son Felix in March 2011, followed soon after by Magnus in November 2012. As Banks recalls, “This experience has exceeded all expectations, taught us a great deal about generosity and gratitude, and established a relationship that will last a lifetime.” (E Online)

 

7
Image: Getty Images

Guiliana and Bill Rancic

After numerous IVF procedures, a miscarriage and a battle with cancer (all publicly documented on the couple’s reality show, Giuliana & Bill), the TV host finally got her happy and healthy ending—the pair had their embryo implanted into a gestational carrier and son Edward Duke arrived in August 2012. Though the road to motherhood was a rocky one, Rancic doesn’t regret what she dealt with one bit, saying, “Had I not gone through IVF, had I not had this struggle, I never would have discovered I had breast cancer. Had I gotten pregnant naturally and easily, it would have actually accelerated the cancer.”  (HollywoodLife.com)

8
Image: Getty Images

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka

The multitalented NPH added “dad” to his long list of credentials when he and husband Burtka brought home twins Harper Grace and Gideon Scott. In a cool twist, the couple had two eggs implanted into their surrogate — one with Harris’s sperm and one with Burtka’s — and both took! “When we first found out it was fraternal twins, we were thrilled. We don’t know whose is whose, but it’s amazing how different they already are. She is all girl and he is all boy,” says Burtka of their now four-year-old children.  (People)

 

9
Image: Getty Images

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban

The Aussie actress is no stranger to fertility issues, saying, “Anyone that’s been in the place of wanting another child, or wanting a child, knows the disappointment, pain and loss you go through trying. Struggling with fertility is such a big thing.” After carrying and delivering daughter Sunday Rose herself, Kidman was just as overjoyed with the arrival of Faith Margaret. “It was so deeply emotional and moving,” says Kidman. “The love I felt for our gestational carrier…She was the most wonderful woman to do this for us.” (E Online)

 —Lauren A. Greene

Plus, More from The Bump:

11 Celebrities That Used a Surrogate

“Why I Became a Surrogate”

The Runaway Surrogate

save article
ADVERTISEMENT

Next on Your Reading List

Amit Shah and Aditya Madiraju with surrogate
Amit Shah and Aditya Madiraju on Fatherhood and Parenting With Pride
By Nehal Aggarwal
father looking at a book with young daughter while sitting on the couch at home
How to Talk to Your Kids About Surrogacy
By Elizabeth Narins
Israel Houghton and Adrienne Bailon attend the Elton John AIDS Foundation's 30th Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party on March 27, 2022 in West Hollywood, California
Cheetah Girls Star Adrienne Bailon Shares Her Son's Birth Story
By Wyndi Kappes
ADVERTISEMENT
two people touching a pregnant belly, surrogacy concept
Independent Surrogacy vs. Agency Surrogacy: How to Decide
By Maggie Overfelt
woman touching friend's pregnant belly with sunset in the background
How to Navigate the Intended Parent-Surrogate Relationship
By Yelena Moroz Alpert
Kaitlyn Munoz and her mother, Chalise Smith, after giving birth to her daughter in the hospital
50-Year-Old Mom Who Served as Daughter’s Surrogate Welcomes Baby Girl
By Wyndi Kappes
adoption and surrogacy books gif
The Best Children's Books About Adoption and Surrogacy
By Elizabeth Narins
ADVERTISEMENT
How (and When) to Tell Your Child They’re Adopted
How (and When) to Tell Your Child They’re Adopted
By Lisa Milbrand
Same sex couple looks at laptop computer together
Finding a Surrogate Mother: How to Navigate the Surrogacy Process
By Maggie Overfelt
Breaking the 'Surrogate Code'
Breaking the 'Surrogate Code'
By The Bump Editors
ADVERTISEMENT
What to Do if Your Partner Is Unsure About Adoption
What to Do if Your Partner Is Unsure About Adoption
By Dawn Davenport
Should You Pursue Both Adoption and IVF?
Should You Pursue Both Adoption and IVF?
By Dawn Davenport
Can You Change Adoption Agencies
Can You Change Adoption Agencies
By Dawn Davenport
ADVERTISEMENT
couple waiting for their adopted baby to come home
How to Keep Your Relationship Strong During the Adoption Process
By Liz Colizza, MAC, LPC, NCC
hoda kotb from the today show on set
Surprise! Hoda Kotb Is Now a Mom of Two
By Stephanie Grassullo
woman is surrogate for her son's baby
Surrogate Gives Birth to Her Own Granddaughter for Her Son and His Husband
By Stephanie Grassullo
andy cohen announces he will be having a baby via surrogacy
Andy Cohen Reveals He’s Expecting His First Child via Surrogate
By Stephanie Grassullo
ADVERTISEMENT
person picking flowers that have sprouted through the sidewalk
Mom Shares Powerful Message Years After Being Told She Could Never Have Kids
By Stephanie Grassullo
How to Do an International Adoption
How to Do an International Adoption
By Dawn Davenport
dwayne wade and gabrielle union welcome a new baby
Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade Welcome Surprise 'Miracle' Baby
By Stephanie Grassullo
ADVERTISEMENT
Article removed.
Article removed.
Name added. View Your List