Mother and grandmother to the same baby: Spanish actress sparks surrogacy debate

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A Spanish TV actress has sparked controversy after using a surrogate to fulfill what she says was the final wish of her dead son: to have a child. 

Ana Obregón announced the birth in a cover story for Hola! magazine published earlier in April, detailing how she used sperm samples from son Aless, who died of cancer in 2020 at the age of 27, to impregnate a surrogate mother.

Obregón – a 68-year-old socialite who is married to Italian aristocrat Alessandro Lequio – has long been a fixture on Spanish television, and is best known for appearing in series such as “A las once en casa.” 

Such was the interest in the child in Spain that another magazine, Letras, tracked down the surrogate – a woman of Cuban origin that lives in Florida – and splashed photos of her on its front page.

Such was the interest in the child in Spain that another magazine, Letras, tracked down the surrogate – a woman of Cuban origin that lives in Florida – and splashed photos of her on its front page.

Obregón told Hola! that the baby, Ana Sandra Lequio Obregón, was born on March 20 in Miami and will have a US passport. She will be registered at the Spanish consulate in Miami before flying home to Spain, added Obregón.

Some have questioned whether Obregón should be able to bring a baby born via a method illegal under Spanish law into the country.

But the actress says she has documents proving that she is legally recognized as the baby’s mother in the United States, and adopting a child born abroad is legal in Spain. 

While some experts say the legalities of the situation are unclear, many legal commentators have said she is unlikely to face any legal issues upon returning home.