I Do What I Feel Is Right For Me

Actor Sunny Leone talks to Shraddha Kamdar about looking for what she needs until she finds it, the newfound joys of motherhood, and raising her kids to be gentle

- Shraddha Kamdar

She needs no introduction, for her journey has been much shared and talked about, both by others and herself. She has made a mark in everything she endeavoured to do, and it has come with sheer hard work. After a long and arduous professional journey, when it came to becoming a mother, she made her fans a part of the journey by sharing her disappointments and the silver linings on social media, her husband, a pillar of strength by her side. Till the day their adopted daughter Nisha came into their lives like a ray of sunshine. The little one soon became big sister to twin brothers Noah and Asher, who completed Sunny Leone and Daniel Weber’s happy family. The star talks about the early distress, the newly learned lessons of motherhood, and the conviction that keeps her going.

When did you and Daniel know that you were ready to start a family?

We started talking about having children about eight or 10 years ago.

How did you feel when the surrogacy was not working out? Did you feel dejected?

We have had so many lows during this period of trying. Our surrogate’s hCG levels were rising every day and later levelled off, getting us worried. At one time, we had an empty embryo. The second time, she didn’t get pregnant. After that, the second surrogate didn’t work out. To make matters worse, our doctor at the time was completely emotionally detached towards the situation, which further aggravated our agony. Before we knew it, we lost four little girls and had two boys left (in America, we are allowed to know the sex of the baby). We finally switched doctors, found another surrogate, and this time, it worked.

How did those emotions contrast with what you felt at the exact moment you received the news that you were expecting your sons?