Tom Daley shares first look of newborn son with husband Dustin Lance Black via surrogate
LONDON, ENGLAND: Tom Daley took to Instagram to share adorable pictures of his newborn on Wednesday, April 5. The post came only hours after he and his husband Dustin Lance Black announced that they have welcomed their second child via surrogate. The Olympic diving champ showed off the newest addition to the family alongside his elder brother Robert, five.
"Phoenix Rose Black-Daley. Our family has grown in the last week, we welcomed Phoenix to the world on 28/03/23 and he’s just perfect. Robbie is loving being a BIG BRO!," he wrote in the caption of the post that featured two images. Phoenix appeared to be dressed in a cardigan, made by Daley, which had a heart motif knitted on the back. His older brother Robbie could be seen gently smiling while holding hands with his father Black. The exciting news came as a surprise as both Daley and his husband never previously revealed they were expecting another child.
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Phoenix Rose was born on March 28
The couple shared the news in The Times with an announcement that their second son, Phoenix Rose, was born on March 28 via surrogate. It read: "Black-Daley on 28th March to Thomas Robert Daley and Dustin Lance Black, a son, Phoenix Rose." The couple, who tied the knot in 2017, welcomed their first child Robert Ray via surrogacy on June 27, 2018, after announcing in February of the same year that they were expecting. Their first child was named after Daley's late father Robert, who died at the age of 40 due to a brain tumor.
Why did Daley choose the US over the UK for surrogacy?
Daley and his screenwriter husband have previously opened up about why they chose to go through the surrogacy process in the US instead of the UK, claiming that the UK surrogates and parents are not afforded the same legal rights. "We looked into it in the UK and in the US. In the UK it's a lot more complicated because surrogates aren't as well protected legally, intended parents aren't protected legally, it's just not safe, and there are a lot of hurdles to have to jump over. In the US, everything is regulated in a way that keeps everyone safe, and in the US the surrogacy process is a lot more streamlined," he explained, as per the Daily Mail.
Why did Tom Daley choose surrogacy over adoption?
In an interview with The Telegraph in August 2018, Daley hit back at critics calling him out for choosing surrogacy over adoption. "Lots of people say, 'Why don't you adopt?' You wouldn't say that to a straight couple. You wouldn't say: 'Why do you deserve to have a biological kid?'" he said.