Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance discuss their surrogacy experience on Oprah
Actors Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett are appearing on Oprah today to discuss their love story, which culminated in the birth of their fraternal twins Bronwyn Golden and Slater Josiah, now 12 months, who were carried by a surrogate, although the children are biologically Courtney and Angela’s. The couple discussed the issue on the show, saying that they went through seven years of failed fertility treatments, including IVF. It was an extremely trying time, especially for Angela.
Click Continue Reading for more of the story, a photo of the twins, and information on their outfits.
She says,
I was devastated when it didn’t happen [again and again]. I had to remain hopeful and resilient and, ‘Okay, let’s do it again.’
Eventually,a friend who didn’t look like she was expecting announced to them thatshe and her husband were five months pregnant. Confused, Angela said,’You are?’ and the friend revealed that they were using a surrogate.This was the turning point for Angela and Courtney,
Shebegan to tell me about the idea of surrogacy. The more we learned aboutit, the more we began to think that perhaps this was an answer for us.
The twins were born on January 28th, 2006. Courtney says he always knew they would have twins,
I had a dream about seven years ago that we were going to have twins. I didn’t know how it was going to happen.
For Angela, the actual birth of their babies was an amazing experience. She says,
Juststanding there together, holding each other with the realization thatthis is the moment that we’ve been working toward, praying for…[it'sa dream come true].
Bronwyn and Slater wear hoodies by Hand Picked Pumpkin,in their Collin and Zoe styles ($54). This is an interesting company -you pick a garment, pick a size, and customize it as you wish.
Under the hoodies, they wear Lillybee’s cashmere sweaters in three hearts and three stars ($74).
They also sport Robeez booties in brown and cream ($37).
All items were picked up at January’s Boom Boom Room pre-GoldenGlobes gifting suite, where the vendors describe Angela as ‘very sweetand appreciative.’
Source: Oprah
Thanks to CBB readers Allison, Kelly, Lisa and Kate.
Like Courtney, did you have a feeling about what your children would be? (All boys, twins, etc). Were you right? Danielle was so sure she was pregnant with a boy – but, of course, she had Anya instead! Also, do you have any experience with surrogacy?
- Posted on Feb 14, 07 at 2:31PM
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- 5 Comments
February 14th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
When I got pregnant for the first time I KNEW I was having a boy. Then when I got pregnant the second time (10 mo.later)my husband and I KNEW that we were having a girl. Well my first was a boy and my second was a girl. Right now I am 24 weeks pregnant as a surrogate, and when they found out that they were going to have twins I knew it was one of each. I was right a third time, too bad I can’t do that with lottery numbers
February 15th, 2007 at 5:14 am
When I gave birth to my first child, I shared a room on the maternity ward with a surrogate mother. It was an odd experience. At first she was very upbeat and proud of how she’d helped an infertile couple. She said she felt no connection to the baby and was fine with seeing him go home with the other couple (she already had 3 kids of her own). She’d chosen to have a C-section because she didn’t want to go through labor with a child that wasn’t hers.
But then on about the third day, after the baby had gone home with his parents, the surrogate mother had a psychological breakdown. She was screaming at the biological mother over nothing. I think it was very hard on the surrogate mother to be in the maternity ward, surrounded by women with babies, experiencing all those maternal hormones, and having it sink in that the baby wasn’t staying with her. I got the impression, by the way, that the reason she volunteered to be a surrogate might be economic—she was a single mother working a low-paid job.
Seeing this drama left me with very mixed feelings about surrogacy.
February 16th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
A friend of mine is in need of a surrogate due to a car accident that took the life of her unborn son and left her with a hysterectemy. I want to do this for her so bad, but my husband is totally against it. I just dont know what to do
February 24th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
Well, I’m just happy to see them parents of two beautiful children and just happy, after such a trying time with the many failed, and no doubt heartbreaking, attempts they had in the past.
June 1st, 2008 at 4:45 pm
I had a baby girl for my sister recently and it was the best experience of my life. I get to see the baby and hold her any time I want. I have two children and a husband who fulfil my life completely at this point, though we may add to our family later. I think having a baby for my sister is the greatest gift of love I could ever give to her. Who better to give that to than your sister?