Entertainment

Why Fans Shouldn't Expect To See Kim's Surrogate On 'KUWTK'

by Maitri Suhas
Charley Gallay/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

It's official: Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's third child is on the way. The couple decided to have another baby, this time through a surrogate after Kardashian experienced a series of health problems during her pregnancies with children North and Saint. But, will Kim Kardashian's surrogate appear on Keeping Up With The Kardashians?

Though rumors that the couple were using a surrogate have been floating around since the summer, Kardashian confirmed the baby news in September, tweeting a clip from KUWTK Season 14, in which she confirms to her sister Khloé that the surrogate is pregnant. And, on Sunday, Dec. 10, the episode featured in the clip finally aired, and while it also included a lot of other talk about Karadshian's surrogacy process, the surrogate herself was not shown.

As fans know, Kardashian has been very open about her complications during her previous pregnancies, and judging by the most recent episode, she's very open about surrogacy, as well. That said, she's drawing the line when it comes to protecting the surrogate's privacy. As she explained on the show, "I definitely want to keep it private … I don’t want people to find my surrogate … I don’t want people following her and chasing her."

Kardashian also said that while she feels like she wants to be involved in everything when it comes to her surrogate carrying her new baby, she knows she can't be. "I really trust my surrogate,” she said. "I’m not trying to control her every move."

Based on this most recent episode, it's a safe bet that the surrogate will not be on the show. And the hints that this would be the case have been around for a while. The third time mom-to-be had a baby shower in November, a high tea-themed celebration filled with lots of friends and bedecked with cherry blossoms. Absent, though, was her surrogate, which some fans thought was strange. Kardashian explained, however, that not inviting her surrogate was a difficult and measured choice. She said during an interview on The Real, "It was a weird decision to have to make," and explained that she had not yet figured out the best way to talk to her children about the surrogacy situation.

The 37-year-old said on The Real that she wanted the baby shower to just be a celebration of the baby. However, her family, apart from her kids, have met her surrogate already, and the two have a great relationship. "I love her," she said. "She is the perfect person to do this for my family. She is amazing."

Before she confirmed the surrogacy news in September, Kardashian had addressed the rumors. She told E! News at a Harper's Bazaar event on Sept. 8, "I've definitely seen a lot of things, we've never confirmed anything." She added, "So, I think when we're ready to talk about it we will, and I think it's super invasive when people are just... So many details out there, and like I've never heard this."

While the surrogate will almost certainly not appear on the show, Kardashian will definitely continue to be open about her own experience, just like she has always been. In the past, she was very open about her struggles with pregnancy on the reality show and on social media, including detailed posts on her blog. She revealed that she had placenta accreta, and that during her pregnancy with North, she was diagnosed with preeclampsia. After a final surgery that may have allowed Karadshian to carry her own third child wasn't successful, all these complications led to Kardashian and West opting for a surrogate.

Kardashian has done a respectable job so far protecting her surrogate's privacy, though, of course, some people want desperately to know who the woman is. But even if the surrogate doesn't appear on KUWTK to protect her privacy, she and Kardashian have a great relationship. In November, Kardashian told The Real that at first the surrogate didn't know whose baby she was carrying, but that she wanted a relationship with her. She was also worried that the surrogate might not be a fan of Kimye and wouldn't want to carry their child. It turned out the woman is a fan of their show — but not an obsessive fan, as Kardashian explained on KUWTK — and she was also familiar with Kardashian's struggles with pregnancy. Apparently, she's excited to help these parents add to their family and that's really what matters most.