Celebrities Who Have Used Surrogacy Amid Pope's Call for Global Ban

Pope Francis has called for a global ban on "so-called surrogate motherhood," a practice that has been embraced by several celebrities over the years.

Gestational is the more common form of surrogacy, whereby an embryo is fertilized in a lab then implanted into the surrogate's uterus, so the surrogate has no biological claim to the baby. On birth, the baby is then given to their legal parents.

Traditional surrogacy is less common as the embryo belongs, in part, to the surrogate, despite binding legal documents relinquishing any rights.

Ethical concerns have seen the practice made illegal in a number of countries around the world, as well as in some states in the U.S.

Speaking during his "state of the world" address to Vatican-accredited diplomats on Monday, Pope Francis expressed his steadfast disapproval of the practice.

"I deem deplorable the practice of so-called surrogate motherhood, which represents a grave violation of the dignity of the woman and the child, based on the exploitation of situations of the mother's material needs," he said.

"Consequently, I express my hope for an effort by the international community to prohibit this practice universally," the pontiff added.

The statement from Pope Francis, who in December authorized Catholic Church officials to bless same-sex marriages, will likely spark ire among people in the LGBTQ+ community, where surrogacy is often a couple's route to parenthood. Women who opt for motherhood later in life, and those with medical issues, are also among those who use surrogacy.

Newsweek has compiled a list of some of the many celebrities who have used surrogacy to become parents.

Chrissy Teigen & John Legend

Three years after the heartbreaking stillbirth of their son, Jack, Chrissy Teigen announced in June that she and her husband, John Legend, had welcomed a son via surrogate.

The announcement of the baby's arrival came just five months after Teigen had given birth to another baby, bringing their number of their children at home up to four.

Cravings cookbook author Teigen also revealed that the surrogate who carried their child had been honored in the name she and Legend had chosen for their son.

"We want to say thank you for this incredible gift you have given us, Alexandra," she wrote, referencing the couple's surrogate. "And we are so happy to tell the world he is here, with a name forever connected to you, Wren Alexander Stephens."

"Our hearts, and our home, are officially full. And to our Jack, we know both their angel kisses are from you," she added.

Priyanka Chopra & Nick Jonas

Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas revealed that they had welcomed their first baby, a daughter called Malti, in January 2022.

In a brief statement shared on Instagram, the couple said: "We are overjoyed to confirm that we have welcomed a baby via surrogate. We respectfully ask for privacy during this special time as we focus on our family."

Following accusations of "renting" a womb and "outsourcing" the pregnancy out of vanity, Chopra Jonas told British Vogue in January 2023 that surrogacy was a "necessary step" following "medical complications."

"I'm so grateful I was in a position where I could do this," she told the publication. "Our surrogate was so generous, kind, lovely and funny, and she took care of this precious gift for us for six months."

Kim Kardashian & Kanye "Ye" West

Kim Kardashian and her now ex-husband, Kanye "Ye" West, welcomed the last two of their four children via surrogacy.

Their third child, daughter Chicago, arrived via a surrogate in January 2018, as did Psalm, who was born in May of the following year.

Following Chicago's arrival, Kardashian wrote on her website: "We are incredibly grateful to our surrogate who made our dreams come true with the greatest gift one could give and to our wonderful doctors and nurses for their special care."

As Kardashian readied herself for the star-studded Met Gala ahead of Psalm's 2019 arrival, she took to social media to swat away rumors that he had already been born.

"Wait just saw news our baby boy came but that's not true! It's Met Monday, I'm in NYC. I would be at the hospital lol," she wrote on X, formerly Twitter, at the time.

Kardashian suffered from placenta accreta during her pregnancies with elder daughter and son, North and Saint, ruling out the possibility of her carrying more children.

Khloé Kardashian & Tristan Thompson

Khloé Kardashian and basketball player Tristan Thompson confirmed in July 2022 that they had welcomed their second child, a boy called Tatum, via surrogate.

The former couple, who were estranged at the time of the baby's arrival, are also parents to daughter True, who was born in April 2018.

"We can confirm True will have a sibling who was conceived in November," a representative said at the time. "Khloé is incredibly grateful to the extraordinary surrogate for such a beautiful blessing. We'd like to ask for kindness and privacy so that Khloé can focus on her family."

Kardashian faced a social media backlash shortly after the baby's birth, when a photo was shared of the mother-of-two holding the newborn while in a hospital bed.

Hilaria Baldwin & Alec Baldwin

Alec Baldwin and his wife, Hilaria Baldwin, have quite the busy household with seven children.

The couple surprised fans in March 2021, when they announced the arrival of their daughter, Maria Lucia, just months after Hilaria Baldwin had given birth to their son Eduardo "Edu" Pao Lucas in September 2020.

In January 2020, Hilaria Baldwin penned an article for Glamour magazine in which she spoke candidly about her struggle after suffering two miscarriages in 2019.

"I kept waking up and thinking it must have all been a very vivid bad dream. I cried so much that my eyes were nearly swollen shut," she wrote. "I didn't know the body could make so many tears.

"This was a pain that I had never experienced before, and it felt suffocating. During this pain, I knew that I needed to feel better. I needed to heal. I had to—for my babies, my husband, my loved ones, and myself."

Alec Baldwin is also the father of Ireland Baldwin, his daughter from his previous marriage to Kim Basinger.

Sarah Jessica Parker & Matthew Broderick

Already the parents of son James Wilkie, Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick announced in 2009 that they had welcomed twin daughters, Marion Loretta Elwell and Tabitha Hodge.

Ahead of the twins' arrival, Sex and the City star Parker spoke with Access Hollywood about her decision to use a surrogate after carrying her son.

"Well, you know, we've been trying to expand our family for a number of years and we actually have explored a variety of ways of doing so," she said. "This was one of the things we discussed with seriousness that had real possibilities for us."

When asked if she had previously faced difficulty on her journey to having more children, she responded: "Yeah, I mean, I couldn't pretend otherwise. It would be a complicated... It would be odd to have made this choice if I was able to, you know, have successful pregnancies since my son's birth."

Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban

After giving birth to her daughter, Sunday Rose in 2008, Nicole Kidman opted for surrogacy when she and husband, Keith Urban, tried for their second child together. Their daughter, Faith Margaret, was born in 2010.

According to Us Weekly, Oscar-winning screen star Kidman described her experience as a "roller coaster ride with fertility."

Turning attention to their surrogate, Kidman is quoted as saying: "She was the most wonderful woman to do this for us."

Paris Hilton & Carter Reum

Paris Hilton and her husband, Carter Reum, welcomed their first child, son Phoenix, together in January 2023 via surrogate. Less than a year later, Hilton announced in November that she and Reum had welcomed a daughter, London.

Following her son's birth, Hilton candidly discussed her decision to use a surrogate during the Season 2 premiere of her reality TV show Paris in Love.

"Surrogacy was a difficult decision to make," she said. "I would have loved that experience of growing the baby in your tummy and feeling the kicks and all of those exciting moments, but my life has just been so public. So even though the baby is biologically mine and Carter's, we decided to have a surrogate carry him."

Speaking with the British edition of Glamour magazine in February 2023, Hilton said that the sexual abuse she had endured while at boarding school left her in fear of the medical examinations she would have to undergo while pregnant.

"I'm just so scared," she told the publication, "…of even being in a doctor's office, just all of that. The shots, the IVs that they put in. But I want a family so bad, it's just the physical part of doing it. I'm just so scared … childbirth and death are the two things that scare me more than anything in the world."

Grimes & Elon Musk

While speaking with Vanity Fair for a cover story that was published in March 2022, Grimes found herself having to reveal that she and Elon Musk had quietly welcomed a daughter via surrogate after she was heard crying upstairs during the interview.

The singer—real name is Claire Boucher—and tech mogul Musk welcomed Exa Dark Sideræl, or Y, in December 2021. She is the younger sister of their son, X Æ A-XII, who is referred to as X.

When asked by her interviewer if she believed she could have hidden a baby in her home, Grimes responded: "I don't know. I don't know what I was thinking."

Rebel Wilson

In November 2022, Rebel Wilson revealed in an Instagram post that she had welcomed her daughter, Royce Lillian, via surrogate.

"Beyond proud to announce the birth of my first child, Royce Lillian, born this past week via surrogate," the Pitch Perfect star wrote at the time.

"I can't even describe the love I have for her, she's a beautiful miracle!" Wilson went on. "I am forever grateful to everyone who has been involved, (you know who you are), this has been years in the making…but particularly wanted to thank my gorgeous surrogate who carried her and birthed her with such grace and care. Thank you for helping me start my own family, it's an amazing gift. The BEST gift!!"