Sarah Jessica Parker planning more kids

London, April 28 (ANI): Actress Sarah Jessica Parker wants to expand her family with Matthew Broderick.

The Sex and the City star is mum to seven-year-old son, but she turned to a surrogate mother after struggling to conceive another child.

Parker and husband then welcomed twin daughters Marion and Tabitha, reports The Daily Star.

“I don”t know if we”re finished having children. I know that we”re lucky that we could afford that particular option, but we encouraged each other to explore all options.

“I suppose the only courage it takes is to not listen to people who find it objectionable. And there are those,” she told Closer magazine. (ANI)

Ricky Martin confirms he’s gay

Singer Ricky Martin has confirmed rumours that he is gay.

In a statement on his website, Martin announced: “I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.”

Speculation about the 38-year-old Latino singer’s sexuality has raged for years, but he has never directly addressed it and was usually seen with beautiful female partners.

The singer – a father of twins boys from a surrogate mother – says writing his memoirs helped him realise that he had to be free with himself and not keep any more secrets.

“Today is my day, this is my time and this is my moment,” he said.

Martin’s autobiography is yet to be published.

Ricky Martin admits he’s gay

London, Mar 30 (ANI): Putting an end to years of speculation over his sexuality, pop star Ricky Martin has admitted that he is gay.

Martin, who fathered two children with a surrogate mother two years ago, stated on his website that he felt “blessed to be who he was”, reports The BBC.

Martin said: “Today I have accepted my homosexuality as a gift that gives me life.”

The Puerto Rican star said his decision to write his memoirs had helped him to free “things that were too heavy to keep inside”. (ANI)

German twins to get special adoption treatment

New Delhi, Mar 17 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Central Adoption Resources Agency (CARA) to make exception in the German twins adoption case and permit their biological parents to adopt them, so that they can move freely to Germany.

The Central Adoption Resources Agency (CARA) was to submit report in the court today.

The apex court had earlier asked the agency to look into the possibility of the father adopting the children on humanitarian grounds since Germany has refused to grant the children citizenship as surrogacy is illegal in Germany.

The twins” father Jan Balaz has been fighting the case for two years. He had approached the Gujarat High Court first and then moved the Supreme Court.

They twins were born to an Indian surrogate mother and a German couple two years ago. They have been waiting to go to Germany since then. (ANI)

Sarah Jessica Parker resumes filming for ‘Sex And The City’ sequel

London, September 2 (ANI): Sarah Jessica Parker has returned to the set of ‘Sex And The City’ movie to film scenes in New York.

The actress got back to the shooting from her 10-week break after a surrogate mother gave birth to her twin girls, Marion and Tabitha.

Parker was seen wearing 1,975-pound gold five-inch crystal-encrusted heels and sheer white dress for the sequel, reports the Daily Express.

The star, who plays columnist Carrie in the hit series, lives with her husband Matthew Broderick in Manhattan with the newborns and their son James Wilkie, 6.

She will share the frame with co-stars Cynthia Nixon, Kim Cattrall, and Kristin Davis, for the movie due to be released in May next year. (ANI)

Surrogacy on rise in Uttar Pradesh

Gorakhpur, Sep 2 (ANI): Sheela, six months pregnant, is like any other expecting mother, except that the child in her womb does not belong to her. When she gives birth three months later, the baby will be handed over to the biological parents.

Like Sheela, there are many women in Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, who are renting their wombs to childless couples keen on starting their families.

These women are more than happy to help couples, who are not blessed with a baby and are desperate to have one.

“If I can help someone and give a baby to a childless couple then I am more than happy to do that,” said Sumitra, a surrogate mother.

More and more childless couples in Gorakhpur are seeking the help of surrogate mothers to expand their brood.

“We did whatever the doctors asked us and now we have a year-old girl child and we are very happy,” said Inderabala, a woman who had her baby through surrogate mother.

Doctors said that since the number of Tuberculosis patients is high in Purvanchal region, which is one of the reasons of infertility, the demand for surrogacy is on rise.

“The demand for surrogacy is on rise and there are many patients waiting for surrogate mother but since many people out here are ignorant about surrogacy we try other ways to give a baby to a childless couple. But we also tell the patients that if they can get a surrogate mother then it will be a blessing for them.

Moreover in Purvanchal, there are more cases of Tuberculosis, which is one of the causes of infertility and that’s the reason why surrogacy is in demand,’ said Surita Karim, a gynaecologist

The Indian Law Commission has recently recommended to the central government to enact legislation to regulate the Assisted Reproductive technology (ART) clinics, as well as the rights and obligations of parties to a surrogacy. (ANI)

Macaulay Culkin rubbishes ‘Blanket’s dad’ claims

Washington, Sept 1 (ANI): Actor Macaulay Culkin has rubbished claims made by a UK tabloid that he was the biological father of Michael Jackson’s youngest son Prince Michael II.

The Sun had published an article wherein the Home Alone Star, a close friend of the late MJ, was named as the father of Prince Michael II a.k.a Blanket.

Blanket, 7, was born of a surrogate mother, whose identity still remains a mystery.

Culkin’s rep Michelle Bega dubbed the claims as being “preposterous”.

Contactmusic quoted Bega as telling TMZ.com: “The enquiries are too preposterous for us to even acknowledge.”

Jackson claimed to have fathered two of his kids Prince Michael and Paris with wife Deborah Rowe, but some speculate the pop icon may have been the biological father of none of his children. (ANI)

Mexican nurse named Helena surrogate mother of MJ’s son Blanket?

London, Aug 12 (ANI): A Mexican nurse named Helena is believed to be the surrogate mother of Michael Jackson’s youngest child.

Blanket, real name Prince Michael Jackson II, was born on February 21, 2002 at the Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, near San Diego in Southern California, however, his real mother still remains a mystery.

According to the Mirror, the ‘Thriller’ hitmaker paid Helena 20,000 dollars as surrogacy fee to have his child.

The child was conceived through IVF and Jackson had donated his sperm for the procedure.

“Michael wanted a designer baby. He had two wonderful children but wanted one more and was quite specific on the gene pool he wanted to tap into,” a close friend of Jackson said.

MJ had chosen Helena after reviewing her background and family history.

“He chose Helena because she had a latino background but she was also a US citizen and had quite fair skin,” said the friend.

“He liked her because she was very attractive and seemed stable and intelligent. She was a nurse or medical assistant, which he also liked.

“She was around 5ft 4ins, slim, aged around 30 and had long, dark, straight hair. He said she was strait-laced, almost a girl next door type,” the friend added.

However, despite careful selection over the surrogate mum, little of her genetic attributes will have been passed on to Blanket for an unknown woman was the egg donor.

The woman was paid a mere 3,500 dollars for her contribution and signed legal papers handing over all rights to the child.

And it is highly unlikely she knows that her eggs were involved.

Jackson had approached IVF specialist Dr Lila Schmidt for Blanket’s birth.

Schmidt, who is bound by confidentiality rules but can talk in general terms, said: “The surrogate is the carrier of the baby. The biological mom is the egg donor.

“The surrogate has no connection to the child. It’s not their kid. On the birth certificate you can say whoever you want. That’s why you hire an attorney.

“The birth certificate can say Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse but there might not be any genetic relationship to the child.” (ANI)

Jacko had talked about adopting children from age 12

London, Jul 1 (ANI): Late King of Pop Michael Jackson had reportedly revealed his desire to adopt children from around the world at the tender age of 12.

The Thriller hitmaker had been interviewed by Lisa Robinson, a reporter, on many occasions ever since the Jackson 5 rose to fame in the 1960s, and she remembers him having a sense of responsibility even at such a young age.

“I had him fill out a questionnaire when he was about 12. It said, ‘What would you do if you had a million dollars?’ and he literally wrote, ‘Invest’,” the Daily Star quoted her as recalling.

“He also said what he wanted to do was adopt 20 children of all races. He loved children,” she added.

Jackson, who died from a cardiac arrest at the age of 50 on June 25, left behind his children Prince Michael Jr., 12, and Paris Michael Katherine, 11, from his ex-wife Debbie Rowe, and 7-year-old Prince Michael II, known as ‘Blanket’, from an unknown surrogate mother. (ANI)

Did ‘Jacko’s dermatologist father kids Prince and Paris?

London, July 1 (ANI): Michael Jackson’s skin doctor is said to be the father of king of pop’s kids Paris and Prince, say reports.

The late King of Pop’s ex-wife Debbie Rowe had revealed it recently that the late ‘Thriller’ hitmaker was not the biological father of the two kids, and that she conceived them through sperm donation.

Rumours are now abuzz that the singer’s then skin doctor Arnie Klein could be the kids’ real father.

“Debbie Rowe is not the biological mother of the two kids she bore for Michael. All three children were conceived in vitro – outside the womb,” the Sun quoted a source as saying.

“Michael was not the sperm donor for any of his kids.

“Debbie’s eggs were not used. She was merely the surrogate, paid well for her services,” the source added.

However, the surrogate mother of Jacko’s youngest child Blanket is not known. A restaurant boss with alleged Mafia links has come forward to claim he is the father of the seven-year-old. (ANI)

Jacko’s mother to look after his children

London, June 29 (ANI): Michael Jackson’s children are going to stay with their grandmother Katherine Jackson as reports have come that the legend’s ex-wife Debbie Rowe will not fight for their custody if she is allowed more access to them.

The Jackson family who was ready to fight “tooth and nail” with the horse breeder has also softened its stance and agreed to her desire of being allowed to visit the kids more often.

A friend of Rowe has said that she is keen to avoid any situation that will further sadden the children after the loss of their father, by trying not to exercise her legal right against the Jacksons in order to settle them at her horse ranch in Palmdale, 65 miles from Los Angeles, the Daily Express reports.

Rowe’s lawyer asked over the weekend that the Jackson family “be able to say goodbye to their loved one in peace”.

Presently, the three youngsters stay at the Jackson family’s compound in Encino, north-west of Los Angeles with their 79-year-old grand-mother Katherine.

Rowe, a former nurse, got married to the icon in 1996 and parted ways three years later with a huge financial settlement.

She gave birth to Prince Michael, 12 and Paris Katherine, 11, while a surrogate mother conceived Prince Michael II, 7, also known as “Blanket”. (ANI)

Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick welcome twin girls

New York, June 24 (ANI): Sarah Jessica Parker and husband Matthew Broderick have become proud parents of twin girls delivered by a surrogate mother.

The twins were born Tuesday to a 26-year-old surrogate mother in Ohio.

Parker and Broderick named the newborns Marion Loretta Elwell and Tabitha Hodge Broderick, reports The New York Daily News.

Both Hodge and Elwell are family names on Parker’s side,” the power couple said in a statement.

“The babies are doing beautifully, and the entire family is over the moon,” they added.

The surrogate, divorcée Michelle Ross, has been the target of threats and a break-in at her home. (ANI)

Mobile of cop snooping surrogate mum of Sarah Jessica Parker’s twins seized

p
Washington, June 22 (ANI): A cell phone, which belonged to a police officer involved in the tabloid scam to snoop on the surrogate mother of Sarah Jessica Parker’s unborn twin daughters, has reportedly been confiscated. /pp
According to reports, officials in Ohio have seized Martins Ferry Police Chief Barry Carpenter’s phone after learning he used it to take photos of the inside of the surrogate mum’s home./pp
A source has told TMZ.com that the cop allegedly took 15 pictures after he agreed to pry on the woman for a U.S. tabloid reporter. /pp
Carpenter has insisted that he and a fellow officer were only messing with the National Enquirer journalist, and he is 100 per cent innocent of any crime. /pp
However, the cop has admitted that he had once stepped into the surrogate’s home in Martins Ferry, when he found her front door open during a routine house call. /pp
But he claimed that he left the property with empty hands after checking everything was fine. /pp
Meanwhile, National Enquirer editors have insisted that they had no knowledge of the snoop deal. /pp
Parker and her husband Matthew Broderick have released a joint statement in regard to the investigation. /pp
Matthew and Sarah Jessica have complete faith in the legal system. But because it’s a criminal investigation – we will not be making any more comment. What I can say is the entire family looks forward to the healthy delivery of their daughters later on this summer, Contactmusic quoted them as saying in the statement./pp
The stars are expecting twins via the surrogate mother this summer. (ANI)/p

Cynthia Nixon takes ‘surrogacy inspiration’ from Sarah Jessica Parker

London, May 30 (ANI): Cynthia Nixon is reportedly eyeing to have a surrogate child of her own after being inspired by her Sex And The City co-star Sarah Jessica Parker.

The 43-year-old, known for her portrayal of Miranda Hobbes in the hit series, is allegedly planning to begin her family life with lover Christine Marioni.

Nixon was said to have turned to Parker for advice, who along with hubby Matthew Broderick, is looking forward to twins by a surrogate mother this summer.

“Cynthia realises at her age the odds of conceiving are slim,” the Daily Express quoted a pal as telling the National Enquirer.

“After a heart to heart with Sarah about the ins and outs of surrogacy and how it works, Cynthia and Christine decided it’s definitely a path worth pursuing.

“Sarah put Cynthia in touch with the agency she used. Now Cynthia and Christine are hoping for a baby in 2010,” the pal added. (ANI)

Sarah Jessica Parker dishes out £11,000 for unborn twins’ nursery

Washington, May 25 (ANI): Sarah Jessica Parker and her husband Matthew Broderick have splashed out a whopping 11,000 pounds on their unborn twins’ nursery.

The couple is expecting twin girls through a surrogate mother and are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the babies grow up in the most luxurious of surroundings.

And their purchases include 3,700 pounds day bed and 4,000 pounds armoire from high-end furniture company Bonne Nuit, a 3,000 pounds double crib with Louis XIV bedding from Duetta Crib Mate and a 1,000 pounds rocking horse imported from Europe.

“Sarah Jessica and Matthew will spend whatever it takes to make the nursery perfect. They want to give it a classical French look,” Contactmusic quoted a source as saying.

Other than the pricey furniture, the ‘Sex and the City’ star is already thinking about the twins’ wardrobes and has been contacting her friends in the fashion world for exclusive garments.

“Sarah Jessica loves Isaac Mizrahi’s tutu dresses and she’s planning to commission him to make personalised versions for her girls. She’s also fallen in love with baby Ugg boots for the cold New York winters,” added the source.

Parker also has a son James Wilkie, six, with Matthew. (ANI)

Sarah Jessica Parker concerned over surrogate mom’s health

Washington, May 20 (ANI): Sarah Jessica Parker has revealed that she is deeply concerned about the health of the surrogate mother who’s carrying the actress’ twins.

The Sex and the City star said too much spotlight had been put on the surrogate after the announcement that she and her hubby Matthew Broderick are expecting to be blessed with twin girls.

“On a daily basis, on an hourly basis, I am greatly concerned for her health and safety and the safe delivery of our children,” People magazine quoted her as telling Access Hollywood.

“Obviously there are those that don’t care about her, or her health, or safety, or my children’s health and safety, and that they should go to term and not go into an early labor and, god forbid, suffer all the things that can happen – that is a real possibly,” she added.

The 44-year-old, who is already mum to 6-year-old son James Wilkie, further praised the mother of her would be kids for her kind decision.

She added: “I’m really comfortable with her. She’s made a really big choice to be part of our lives and I think she’s an honorable person.

“You can’t express enough how much you think about decisions like this … She’s strong, bright, independent, thoughtful, caring, gracious and generous.” (ANI)

Surrogate mother of Sarah Jessica Parker’s child is ‘bisexual’

New Delhi, May 8 (ANI): The women, chosen by Sarah Jessica Parker to be the surrogate mother of her child, is reportedly a bisexual rocker.

The ‘Sex and the City’ actress and husband Matthew Broderick are expecting twin girls, and sources have revealed that the woman carrying the babies has pink hair and tattoos.

America’s Star magazine had identified the pregnant female as 26-year-old Michelle Ross, who is said to have previously acted as a surrogate for a gay couple, and is mother of a four-year-old son of her own.

“I have had pink hair and tattoos and spiked collars. My favourite shoes are five-inch black spike heels, which lace up the front. I love metal and rock down to the bones,’ wrote Michelle on her MySpace profile.

Michelle’s ex-husband Joseph Erker has claimed that she has a symbol of bisexuality tattooed on her wrist, reports the China Daily.

Talking of Michelle’s overlapping pink and blue triangle inking he said: “She told me that is what it stands for, she’s bi.”

He also said that Michelle “discovered a dark side in herself” after losing their first baby, and the heartbreak was what inspired her to help other people.

He added: “She said she wanted to become a surrogate to help people who couldn’t have children of their own.”

However, Michelle has refused to confirm whether she is donating her womb for Sarah Jessica and Matthew. (ANI)

Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick expecting twins

Washington, Apr 29 (ANI): Sarah Jessica Parker and hubby Matthew Broderick are expecting twin girls via a surrogate mother.

Both Parker and Broderick’s reps confirmed the news.

A pal of the couple told Entertainment Weekly that Parker and Broderick have been trying to expand their brood since the birth of their 6-year-old son James, but had been unsuccessful.

“They came to the conclusion that this was going to be the best alternative for expanding their family,” FOX News quoted the friend, as telling Entertainment Weekly.

Parker, the star of the hit HBO series and movie “Sex and the City”, is currently filming “Did You Hear About the Morgans?”, a romantic comedy co-starring Hugh Grant.

Broderick is currently starring on Broadway in “The Philanthropist.” (ANI)

Scientists create fluorescent Ruppy – the world’s first transgenic dog

London, Apr 24 (ANI): Researchers at Seoul National University in South Korea have created the world’s first transgenic dog.

Cloned beagle named Ruppy – short for Ruby Puppy – and four other beagles all produce a fluorescent protein that glows red under ultraviolet light.

The research team led by Byeong-Chun Lee created the dogs by cloning fibroblast cells that express a red fluorescent gene produced by sea anemones, reports New Scientist.

Team member CheMyong Ko of the University of Kentucky in Lexington said: “The next step for us is to generate a true disease model.”

Scientists created Ruppy by first infecting dog fibroblast cells with a virus that inserted the fluorescent gene into a cell’s nucleus. They then transferred the fibroblast’s nucleus to another dog’s egg cell, with its nucleus removed.

After a week dividing in a Petri dish, researchers implanted the cloned embryo into a surrogate mother. Starting with 344 embryos implanted into 20 dogs, Lee’s team ended up with seven pregnancies. One fetus died about half way through term, while an 11-week-old puppy died of pneumonia after its mother accidentally bit its chest.

Five dogs are alive, healthy and starting to spawn their own fluorescent puppies, Ko says.

For researchers the challenge to create transgenic dogs is controlling where in the nuclear DNA a foreign gene lands.

To solve this problem, Lee’s team used a retrovirus to transfer the fluorescent gene to dog fibroblast cells, but they could not control where the virus inserted the gene.

This would seem to prevent researchers from making dog “knockouts” lacking a specific gene or engineering dogs that produce mutant forms of a gene.

The study has been published in the journal genesis. (ANI)

Dubai claims to have world’s first cloned camel

Dubai, Apr.14 (ANI): The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday claimed that it had the world’s first cloned camel.

Injaz, born in Dubai, is a female. It was born on April 8, 2009 at the Camel Reproduction Centre after more than five years of work by scientists, The National newspaper reported.

“This significant breakthrough in our research programme gives a means of preserving the valuable genetics of our elite racing and milk producing camels in the future,” Dr Lulu Skidmore, scientific director at the Camel Reproduction Centre, said in a statement.

Injaz, whose name means “achievement” in Arabic, is the clone of a camel that was slaughtered for its meat in 2005, The National said.

Scientists used DNA extracted from cells in the ovaries of the slain animal and put it into an egg taken from the surrogate mother to create a reconstructed embryo, it said.(ANI)