Maria Menounos opens up on welcoming ‘miracle baby’ Athena: ‘It’s euphoric’

“Better than I could’ve ever imagined,” said Maria Menounos about becoming a mother to daughter Athena Alexandra with husband Keven Undergaro, on June 23 via surrogate.

Recalling the birth of her daughter, Maria told Us Weekly, “The doctor literally grabbed her and hiked her onto me. I sat with her on my chest, and Keven and I kept looking at each other like, ‘Oh, my God.’ It was just pure joy.”

Undergaro added, “It was like Christmas morning times a million.”

Maria’s journey towards motherhood has been a difficult and lengthy one, spanning a decade. Her struggles with infertility led her to undergo IVF treatments, which were subsequently halted when she was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2017. 

Although the tumor was successfully removed, her neurosurgeon warned her against carrying a child.

After their first surrogate arrangement failed in 2020, Menounos nearly lost hope. However, in February, she and her spouse, 55-year-old AfterBuzz TV founder Undergaro, revealed that they were expecting a child.

“Athena is our miracle baby,” she said. “I’m so grateful for her.”

The 45-year-old also recalled being sad at kids’ birthday parties as she didn’t have any of her own, “Better than I could’ve ever imagined. It’s euphoric. For so long, I’ve felt something’s been missing. I’d go to kids’ birthday parties, and I’d be a little sad because I wanted my own family. And now I feel so grounded, like I finally know where I belong.”