Spanish TV Star Says Surrogate Baby Is Her Grandchild

A 68-year-old Spanish TV star who sparked controversy by having a surrogate child in the United States said the baby was actually her granddaughter, in an interview published on Wednesday.

Ana Obregon told celebrity magazine Hola! that the child born last month in Miami, Ana Sandra Lequio Obregon, was the daughter of her son Aless, who died of cancer in 2020.

The actress and TV presenter said bringing a child into the world was the "last wish" of her son, who had his sperm frozen and kept in New York before undergoing treatment for cancer.

Hola! initially said last week that Obregon was the baby's mother, publishing a photo of her leaving a Miami hospital in a wheelchair and cradling a baby.

The report sparked a backlash in some political quarters, with Education Minister Pilar Alegria calling the photo "Dantesque" and Equality Minister Irene Montero describing surrogacy as "a form of violence against women".

While surrogacy is illegal in Spain, someone who undergoes the practice abroad can register as the parents of the child via adoption when they return.

Hola! said the small girl was now the "legally the adoptive daughter" of Obregon, who has starred in numerous top-rated sitcoms.

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