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Source: getty
Surrogate Mother Suing Bravo For Filming Birth Of Reality Star's Child Without Her Consent
I witnessed my wife give birth to our two children and they were beautifully traumatic and surreal experiences each time.
As emotional as I was, I can't even begin to imagine what the experience was like for my wife. Which is why I totally get how a curt nurse's borderline rude comments upset my wife so much while she was in labor — she was dealing with a heck of a lot.
Audible sighing from a healthcare professional whenever you have a question and being told to "sit back and relax" after being in labor for hours is bad, but there are some labor/delivery horror stories that are way, way worse.
Source: istock
Like having your delivery recorded against your will and broadcast on cable TV for the entire world to see.
Which is exactly what Alexandra Trent, the surrogate for Flipping Out star Jeff Lewis and his partner Gage Edward, allegedly had to endure when she delivered their child in 2016. The moment was first shown on TV in August of 2017.
Trent sued the Bravo network for taking and airing footage of her genitalia without her permission. Her lawsuit also mentions "disgusting" comments made by Lewis and Edward regarding her body.
Flipping Out sued by Jeff Lewis and Gage Edward's surrogate for broadcasting birth and airing jokes about her genitalia https://t.co/D1eRtkEMGq
— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) June 13, 2018
Namely that the couple allegedly made humiliating jokes about Trent's pubic hair, as well as the size of her genitals.
"If I was a surrogate, and I had known there was going to be an audience, I probably would have waxed. And that was the shocking part for Gage. I don’t think Gage had ever seen a vagina, let alone one that big."
Lewis even responded to the news on Twitter with a joke of his own.
Some people defended Lewis' actions, saying that Trent basically should've know what she was in for when she agreed to carry his child.
Had she never met you? It comes with the territory 🤷🏻♀️ the comment was rude but you are Jeff Lewis and this is why we all have watched your show for so many seasons
You did say some unkind things about the woman who carried your child for 10 months. Birth is a very hard process and if you didn't respect her privacy, shame on you. I am a long time fan but as a mother i find this offensive.
Some commenters just feel bad about the baby's birth being reduced to a lawsuit and jokes about Trent's pubic hair.
I have a feeling this is going to attract more attention to the episode & alleged discontent. Now, more people will talk about her & the said comments etc. Sad, Monroe’s birth will now be associated with the negativity- the whole journey & what I remember was beautiful.
Lewis and Edward released a classified ad in 2015 requesting a surrogate. Trent responded to the ad and after discovering that they wanted the pregnancy filmed for a show, she insisted that the delivery not be filmed.
Trent only agreed to ultrasound appointments being filmed, however, on the day of delivery, Bravo allegedly reneged on their agreement with Trent. Variety writes:
"According to the suit, the producers agreed to that condition, but then filmed it surreptitiously from behind a curtain. Neither she nor her doctor were aware that the cameras were rolling as the baby was born. She can be heard on the show screaming in pain, and according to the suit her blurred-out [genitalia] is shown on screen."
Trent's lawsuit states that Bravo ruined her reputation in an attempt to garner ratings:
"In their quest for ratings, Defendants have deeply damaged Trent and have caused incredible anguish, self-loathing, contempt and depression."
Source: getty
Trent is reportedly seeking damages for "unlawful recording, invasion of privacy and fraud," and she's reportedly canceled another surrogacy commitment after learning of the clips at a networking event and seeing them online.
The lawsuit also states that Trent asked Bravo to remove the clips from online (unsuccessfully).
