‘Flipping Out’ Surrogate Mom Sues Bravo for Airing Birth, Genitalia Jokes

A woman who acted as a surrogate for the star of Bravo’s Flipping Out filed a lawsuit against the network Tuesday, alleging she never consented to have the birth filmed, reports Variety.

Alexandra Trent served as a gestational surrogate for Jeff Lewis, the star of the home renovation show, and his partner Gage Edward, giving birth to their daughter in 2016. An episode showing the birth aired in August.

In the lawsuit, Variety reports that producers filmed her vagina during the birth without her consent, and that Edward and Lewis made “disgusting” comments about her genitalia that embarrassed her when aired on TV.

“If I was a surrogate, and I had known there was going to be an audience, I probably would have waxed,” Lewis said during the show. “And that was the shocking part for Gage. I don’t think Gage had ever seen a vagina, let alone one that big.”

According to the lawsuit, Trent said she responded to the couple’s ad in 2015 without the knowledge that she would be on a reality show. When she agreed to act as a surrogate for the couple, she said she agreed to be filmed for her ultrasound appointments for the show, but did not want to have the actual birth in front of cameras.

Trent then alleges that when the day of the birth came, producers filmed the process surreptitiously. On the show, she can be heard screaming and the lawsuit alleges her blurred out vagina is shown on screen.

When she found out that she had allegedly been filmed without her consent, Trent said she asked Bravo to take down the clips, but that the network did not.

“In their quest for ratings, Defendants have deeply damaged Trent and have caused incredible anguish, self-loathing, contempt and depression,” the suit states.

The suit seeks monetary damages for unlawful recording, invasion of privacy and fraud.

Bravo did not respond to Variety‘s request for comment as of Wednesday afternoon.

When the couple welcomed their daughter, Monroe Christine Lewis, in October 2016, they posted a sweet photo announcing her birth on Instagram.

“At 4:22pm today, I grew up,” Lewis wrote on Instagram under a photo of him cradling the baby. “Welcome Monroe Christine Lewis.”

Photo credit: Bravo