Lily Collins shares first glimpse of motherhood after welcoming baby girl via surrogate

Lily Collins is soaking up every precious moment of new motherhood. Just days after announcing the birth of her first child, the Emily in Paris star shared a glimpse into her blissful early days with baby Tove Jane McDowell, whom she welcomed via surrogate with husband Charlie McDowell.

The 35-year-old actress was spotted enjoying a quiet stroll with her newborn, with Charlie capturing the special moment on film. In the candid snap, shared to his Instagram Stories on Monday, Lily looked effortlessly chic in a cozy coat, leggings, and trainers as she pushed her daughter’s stroller down a sunlit, tree-lined street.

Reposting the heartwarming image to her own Stories, Lily summed up the moment perfectly with two simple words: “Utter bliss.”

The couple first shared the exciting news of their daughter’s arrival on Instagram last Friday, posting a tender black-and-white photo of baby Tove bundled in a bassinet, her name beautifully embroidered in gold on a monogrammed blanket.

“Welcome to the center of our world, Tove Jane McDowell,” Lily wrote in the joint announcement, adding, “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.”

The post was quickly flooded with congratulatory messages from their famous friends, including Amanda Seyfried, Billie Lourd, and Katherine Langford.

“So happy for you both!” wrote Katherine, while Amanda sweetly referenced the couple’s beloved dog, Redford, joking, “This is perfect. So, so happy for you four!”

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“Congratulations galore!!! So happy for you!!!!” Billie chimed in, echoing the joy felt by so many.

While the couple’s baby announcement was met with an outpouring of love, it also sparked a debate online about the rising number of celebrities turning to surrogacy to expand their families. Charlie, 41, swiftly responded to critics, addressing the conversation head-on in the comment section of their post.

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“Thank you for all the kind messages and love. We are overjoyed and very grateful,” he wrote before directly confronting the negative remarks.

“In regards to the unkind messages about surrogacy and our path to having a baby — it’s okay to not be an expert on surrogacy,” he continued. “It’s okay to not know why someone might need a surrogate to have a child. It’s okay to not know the motivations of a surrogate regardless of what you assume. And it’s okay 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.”

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He then lightheartedly wrapped up his response, adding, “That’s all for now because she just pooped and I need to change her diaper.”

Lily and Charlie’s love story has been a fairytale romance from the start. After sparking dating rumors in July 2019, the pair confirmed their relationship on Instagram a month later. Charlie, a director best known for films like The One I Love and Windfall, proposed in 2020, and the couple tied the knot in a dreamy outdoor ceremony in Colorado a year later.