Lily Collins' husband Charlie McDowell has slammed criticism aimed at his wife after the couple announced the birth of their daughter Tove via surrogacy

She added she and Charlie were filled with "endless gratitude" for their surrogate, and while the couple's announcement was met with an outpouring of congratulations from a flood of fans, it also sparked criticism - with some trolls accusing them of participating in an "unethical trend" and arguing surrogacy allows "rich people to rent women's bodies".

Charlie has now hit back on social media against the criticism, saying: "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."

Lily and Charlie, who married in September 2021 after meeting on the set of his 'Gilded Rage' film, did not disclose the reasons behind their decision to use a surrogate.

The actress - who is the daughter of musician Phil Collins - previously opened up about her struggles with an eating disorder in her 2017 memoir 'Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me'.

She revealed years of disordered eating had impacted her reproductive health, writing: "I was terrified I had ruined my chances of having kids."