Lily Collins’ Husband Charlie McDowell Addresses Surrogacy Critics

Each year, more and more people around the world grow their families with the help of a surrogate. Despite its increasing prevalence and the life-changing opportunity it provides, surrogacy remains a somewhat taboo topic—often met with misconceptions and uninformed opinions.

The latest couple to face criticism? Emily in Paris star Lily Collins and her husband, Charlie McDowell. The two announced the arrival of their first child last week on Instagram, sharing a sweet photo of their newborn daughter. “Welcome to the center of our world, Tove Jane McDowell. Words will never express our endless gratitude for our incredible surrogate and everyone who helped us along the way. We love you to the moon and back again,” they captioned the post.

While many flooded the comments with congratulations and well wishes, others responded with criticism and uninformed takes on the couple’s decision to use a surrogate. “I will never accept the commerce of the body, it’s wrong,” one commenter wrote. Another added, “Rich people using women as incubators once again, lmao.”

After reviewing the backlash, McDowell stepped in with a response that was equal parts education and compassion.“Thank you for all the kind messages and love. We are overjoyed and very grateful,” the film director and screenwriter wrote. “In regards to the unkind messages about surrogacy and our path to having a baby—it’s OK to not be an expert on surrogacy.”

“It’s OK to not know why someone might need a surrogate to have a child. It’s OK to not know the motivations of a surrogate, regardless of what you assume,” he continued. “And it’s OK to spend less time spewing hateful words into the world, especially in regards to a beautiful baby girl who has brought a lot of love into people’s lives. That’s all for now because she just pooped, and I need to change her diaper.”

As infertility continues to affect 1 in 6 parents worldwide, no one can truly know why a family chooses a certain path—and they shouldn’t have to explain themselves. If you’re considering surrogacy and want to learn more about the process, you can dive deeper in stories from real moms, advice from doctors and more here.