Adrienne Bailon-Houghton Says She Felt a Strong ‘Bond’ with Her Son, 3, Upon Learning Surrogate Was Pregnant (Exclusive)
Adrienne Bailon-Houghton Says She Felt a Strong ‘Bond’ with Her Son, 3, Upon Learning Surrogate Was Pregnant (Exclusive)
Jack IrvinFri, April 3, 2026 at 5:54 PM UTC
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Adrienne Bailon-Houghton and son Ever JamesCredit: adriennebailon/Instagram -
Adrienne Bailon-Houghton welcomed her son Ever James via surrogate in 2023 after a fertility struggle
The star tells PEOPLE she felt an instant bond with Ever, starting from the moment she learned her embryo existed
Bailon-Houghton describes motherhood as a long-awaited dream, and she often shares heartfelt moments with Ever on Instagram
Adrienne Bailon-Houghton felt a natural bond with her 3-year-old son, Ever James, after his birth via surrogate.
The Cheetah Girls alum, 42, and husband Israel Houghton, whom she married in 2016, welcomed Ever through a surrogate in August 2022 following a fertility struggle. Now, she's opening up about the experience — which was quite positive for her.
"I just had a conversation with a girl who was like, 'What was your experience like?' And I had nothing but great things to say because the reality is that I don't have anything else to compare it to," Bailon-Houghton, who recently partnered with Finish alongside her mom Nilda Felix to promote the detergent brand's new Finish Ultimate Quantum.
Israel Houghton and Adrienne Bailon-Houghton in March 2022Credit: Michael Kovac/Getty
"A lot of people think, well, how does the bonding work? Do you feel that bond? And for me, I felt that bond with my son from the moment I knew he existed, from the moment I knew I had an embryo," continues the star. "I remember calling my mom in the airport — because the doctor had just called me — and being like, 'Mom, I have a son. This is crazy. I have a boy. I'm a boy mom. What?' My mind was blown. I started thinking about what his name would be, what he would be like."
Bailon-Houghton acknowledges certain parts of the surrogacy process may seem "absolutely insane," but she notes, "I pulled my son out of someone else's vagina, but when I put him on my chest, I just sobbed. And the only thing I could say out loud was, 'I love you so much,' because I've loved this boy from the thought of him."
She recalls feeling enthralled with the mere "idea of who [Ever] would be" before he was born, which only increased once he entered the world. "I just remember from the moment he was born, looking at every little thing from his tiny hands to his cuticles and being like, 'God, you remembered every detail on him,'" says Bailon-Houghton. "And I was just in awe and absolutely in love from the moment I met my son."
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"I think that comes from a desire to be a mom," adds the Chef's Kiss actress. "I really wanted this, and the journey was long and difficult."
When people ask Bailon-Houghton how she bonded with Ever, she asks in return, "How do you not bond?"
"I was just so grateful in that moment that my dream was coming true and that I was holding my prayer in my hands," she explains.
Bailon-Houghton often opens up about motherhood on Instagram. In February, she posted a video of herself and Ever having a conversation in a cafe and wrote in the caption, "I didn’t know raising a man would mend pieces of the woman in me. I thank God for you @everjames."
Israel paid his wife a compliment in the comments section, writing, "You are the greatest mama. I love you. So so so much."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
