Lily Collins just announced her baby's arrival. The response has been complicated.

Emily in Paris star Lily Collins has announced the arrival of her first child with husband Charlie McDowell, a daughter named Tove Jane McDowell.

"Welcome to the centre of our world Tove Jane McDowell," Collins shared in her announcement, alongside a photo of the newborn. "Words will never express our endless gratitude for our incredible surrogate and everyone who helped us along the way. We love you to the moon and back again..."

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The 34-year-old actress and her filmmaker husband have always been relatively private about their personal life, making this intimate announcement even more special for their followers. The couple first met in 2019, had a whirlwind romance, and tied the knot in a dreamy Colorado ceremony in 2021.

However, what should have been a celebration of new life quickly turned into controversy in the comments section, with some critics taking aim at the couple's choice to use a surrogate.

"Surrogacy becoming a trend between celebrities is one of the finest expressions of capitalism," wrote one user, while another called another commented, "Rich people using women as incubators once again lmao."

The criticism continued with some suggesting adoption as an alternative.

"Surrogacy harms impoverished women. People unable to conceive have the option of adopting millions of children that don't have homes."

Shortly after their announcement, McDowell commented on the post and responded to the negativity and defending their right to keep their motivations behind the surrogacy private without judgement.

Charlie McDowell defended him and Lily Collins' decision to use surrogacy. Image: Getty.

"It's OK not to be an expert on surrogacy. It's OK to not know why someone might need a surrogate to have a child," the 41-year-old filmmaker wrote. "It's OK to not know the motivations of a surrogate regardless of what you assume."

He continued, defending their choice while maintaining his sense of humour.

"And it's OK to spend less time spewing hateful words into the world, especially in regards to a beautiful baby girl who has brought a lot of love into people's lives. That's all for now because she just pooped and I need to change her diaper."

In her 2017 memoir, Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me, Collins shared that she was "terrified" she had "ruined [her] chances of having kids" as a result of her previous eating disorder.

Watch Lily Collins speaking about her experience with eating disorders in 2017. Article continues after video.

The debate around surrogacy isn't new in Hollywood, with several celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas having previously faced similar scrutiny for their choices.

While Collins and McDowell haven't shared their personal reasons for choosing surrogacy — nor should they have to — their joy in welcoming their daughter is evident. And perhaps that's what we should be focusing on: celebrating a new life and the growing family's happiness.

For now, the new parents seem focused on what matters most — their daughter Tove Jane — and learning the ropes of parenthood — dirty nappies and all.

Feature Image: Getty / lilyjcollins.