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PEOPLE & ARTS A31
In this May 14, 2014 file photo, Sherri Shepherd attends “A
Celebration of Barbara Walters” in New York.
Court: Sherri
Shepherd can’t get out
of surrogacy contract
MARYCLAIRE DALE
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Televi-
sion personality and actress
Sherri Shepherd has been
found legally responsible for
a child born to a surrogate
she and her ex-husband
hired before they divorced,
a Pennsylvania appeals
court ruled this week in up-
holding the surrogacy con-
tract.
Shepherd had fought to
have the contract voided.
The ruling means she must
continue paying $4,100 a
month in child support, ac-
cording to a lawyer for ex-
husband Lamar Sally, who is
raising the 1-year-old boy in
Los Angeles.
“She doesn’t want to be
part of his life. It’s all good,” lissa B. Brisman, who owns
Sally told The Associated
Press on Tuesday. “I’m go-
ing to be parent enough for
the both of us.”
Shepherd had roles in sev-
eral sitcoms and movies
and co-hosted ABC’s “The
View” from 2007 to 2014. Her
lawyer did not immediately
return a message Tuesday.
She had paid more than
$100,000 and Sally anoth-
er $5,000 for a suburban
Philadelphia surrogate to
carry the child conceived
through a procedure that
used his sperm and a donor
egg.
The couple, then living in
New Jersey, attended the
surrogate’s medical ap-
pointments until Shepherd
had a change of heart in
Thursday 26 November 2015
Rosie O’Donnell relishes
criminal role on Fox’s
drama ‘Empire’

Associated Press
the second trimester, as her This photo provided by Fox shows guest stars Rosie O’Donnell, from left, and Vivica A. Fox with
marriage faltered, the court series star Taraji P. Henson in the “Sinned Against” episode of “Empire,” airing Wednesday, Nov.
ruling said. 25, 2015, 9:00-10:00 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.
The initial birth certificate
listed the surrogate as the Associated Press
mother, prompting Califor-
nia authorities to seek sup- LYNN ELBER a cell for years with Cookie shocked and thrilled”
port from her when Sally AP Television Writer Lyon, played by series star when he called about the
settled there, according to LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rosie Taraji P. Henson. “Empire” role, O’Donnell
his lawyer, Tiffany Palmer. O’Donnell was delighted Cookie seeks out Pepper said, adding that’s she a
Sally is a writer and substi- when “Empire” creator Lee to help her find missing fan of the show and tweets
tute teacher. Daniels invited her to guest family members, includ- about it.
The owner of the surrogacy star on the Fox drama, then ing Cookie’s son Hakeem Henson was “amazing” to
agency they used praised got a case of nerves. (Bryshere Y. Gray). Pepper work with, she said.
the decision, which makes “I’d watched the perfor- is living in Philadelphia and “It’s like dancing with (bal-
Shepherd the legal mother mances, and I’m stunned back in the “criminal busi- let’s Mikhail) Baryshnikov,
listed on the birth certifi- every week because I ness,” O’Donnell said. you have to be on point,”
cate. can’t believe the level of She knows “the lowdown O’Donnell said. “She’s ex-
“Surrogates don’t want to acting and the amount of about what’s going on in traordinarily gifted.”
feel that someone could (dialogue) and stories” in Philly” and is in a position to But O’Donnell received
want a baby and then just each episode, O’Donnell help Cookie, the actress- her own gracious kudos as
back out. The surrogate is said. comedian said. well, from series star Gray.
not the mother,” said Me- Worried about “not being Playing her first baddie was “He said, ‘I just want to tell
on my game,” she worked “liberating,” and she was you that I have a lot of re-
Reproductive Possibilities with an acting coach be- honored that Daniels envi- spect for who you are and
LLC in Montvale, N.J. fore taping. sioned her in the role and how you use your voice
Pennsylvania courts had “I prepared for this like I’ve trusted her to handle it, she socially,’ “ O’Donnell re-
never ruled on the validity of never prepared for any- said. called. “He said every-
surrogacy contracts, which thing in my career, be- Daniels’ call came a cou- thing you would dream a
some states have refused to cause I didn’t want to dis- ple years after O’Donnell 20-year-old kid — like the
uphold, Palmer said. appoint and I understood bumped into him at a New one at home on my couch,
“It’s a tremendous relief to the pace at which they York theater and compli- who never says that to me
many people,” she said. work,” she said. mented him on the 2009 — would say to you.”
The ruling Monday up- In the episode airing 9 p.m. Oscar-winning film “Pre- O’Donnell, a former co-
held an earlier decision EST Wednesday, O’Donnell cious,” which Daniels di- host on “The View,” ap-
from Montgomery County, plays Pepper O’Leary, a rected. pears on ABC Family’s dra-
where the boy was born in tough criminal who shared “I was honored and ma series “The Fosters.”q
August 2014.
“(Shepherd) does not dis-
pute that she freely entered
into the gestational car-
rier contract,” the Superior
Court ruling said. “Baby S.
would not have been born
but for (her) actions and ex-
press agreement to be the
child’s legal mother.”q