Charlie McDowell reacts to ‘hateful’ social media messages saying it’s wrong to make assumptions over reason behind their decision.

Lily Collins’s husband has hit back at “unkind” social media critics after the couple welcomed their first baby via a surrogate.

The 35-year-old Emily In Paris star, and daughter of musician Phil Collins, announced the news in a joint Instagram post with her director husband, Charlie McDowell, by posting a photograph of their baby lying next to a white blanket embroidered with the name Tove.

In the caption, Collins wrote: “Welcome to the centre of our world Tove Jane McDowell.

“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.”

But some replied to the post by criticising the couple’s use of surrogacy, which is when a woman carries a baby for someone else.

In response to the online criticism, McDowell wrote: “Thank you for all the kind messages and love. We are overjoyed and very grateful.

“In regards to the unkind messages about surrogacy and our path to having a baby – it’s OK to not be an expert on surrogacy.

“It’s OK to not know why someone might need a surrogate to have a child. It’s OK to not know the motivations of a surrogate regardless of what you assume.

“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.”

The pair were congratulated by famous faces including Nina Dobrev, star of The Vampire Diaries, who posted a white heart and two crying emojis, Amanda Seyfried, the Mamma Mia! actress, and Jessie Ware, the singer.

Seyfried wrote: “This is perfect. So, so happy for you four.”

Before starring as the central character in four seasons of Emily In Paris, Collins began her career on BBC sitcom Growing Pains.

She also featured in the 2011 horror film Priest, the 2019 Ted Bundy biopic Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, and the 2012 fantasy comedy Mirror Mirror.

Her 41-year-old husband is the son of Malcolm McDowell, the star of A Clockwork Orange, and Mary Steenburgen, the American actress who featured in Back to the Future Part III, while his stepfather is Ted Danson, the actor from sitcom Cheers.

McDowell directed the romantic thriller The One I Love (2014), as well as Netflix drama films The Discovery (2017) and Windfall (2022).