Surrogate Who Fled to Texas Loses Authority Over Baby; Plans Supreme Court Appeal
A surrogate who gave birth in Texas without the intended parents' consent has been stripped of authority over the child but vows to appeal to the Supreme Court.
A California surrogate named McKenna West traveled to Texas without the consent of the intended biological parents to give birth to a baby she had been carrying for them — setting off a legal battle that a court has now partially resolved. According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, a court has ordered that West will have no authority over the child, including no say in the baby's medical decisions. The order effectively sides with the biological parents on the question of who controls the child's care. West's attorney, Lincoln Wilson, told the New York Post that they are prepared to fight the ruling all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, signaling that the dispute is far from over. The case centers on the unusual circumstances of West's decision to give birth in Texas rather than California, where the intended parents reside and where the surrogacy agreement was presumably governed. The specifics of why West fled to Texas, the full terms of the surrogacy contract, and the biological parents' identities have not been detailed in the available reporting. The case has drawn attention as a high-profile test of surrogacy law and parental rights.
Why it matters
Surrogacy legal disputes are rare but consequential, and a case that reaches appellate courts — or potentially the Supreme Court — could shape how surrogacy contracts and parental rights are interpreted across state lines.
What's next
West's attorney says they plan to appeal the ruling, potentially all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Key facts
- Surrogate McKenna West traveled to Texas without the consent of the California couple whose baby she was carrying
- A court order strips West of all authority over the child, including medical decision-making
- West's attorney, Lincoln Wilson, told the New York Post they are prepared to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court
- Both reports come from TMZ, which says it obtained the legal documents directly
- The intended parents are described as a California couple; their identities have not been publicly reported
Bias & framing notes
Both sources are from TMZ, a single outlet — there is no independent corroboration from other news organizations. TMZ does claim to have obtained the court documents directly, which lends some credibility to the order's details, but the surrogate's motivations and the full legal background remain thinly reported. The framing across both TMZ pieces is focused on the legal outcome against West, with limited representation of her side beyond the vow to appeal.
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