'Options are limited,' Da Brat and wife Judy open up about their fertility journey
What should have been a joyous occasion, instead, sparked outrage over race and fertility, after superstar rapper Da Brat, better known for hits like "Funkdafied" and "What'chu Like," and her wife, Jesseca "Judy" Harris Dupart, announced they used a white sperm donor to conceive.
When it was time to have a baby, the couple says they wanted to stick with their heritage but had yet to learn of the challenge that would present.
"Nobody ever said, "' Hey, before you do this, know that your options are limited,'" said wife Judy, the founder of Kaleidoscope hair products.
Jesseca Dupart and Da Brat attend "Brat Loves Judy" Season 3 Premiere Screening at Regal Atlantic Station on April 27, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)
The newlyweds, who were married in a lavish wedding last year, on their show, "Brat Loves Judy," said their options were slim to none after genetic testing.
"We didn't know that when she put in her traits, it would be reduced so much," said the Da Brat.
Da Brat says they were left with Asian and Caucasian donors. Fans accused the couple of wanting a mixed-race baby.
In March, Fox 5 NY highlighted the scarcity of African American sperm donors in a special "Health Hope and Happiness, The Black Woman Experience."
Black men account for less than 2% of sperm donors at Cryobanks nationwide, according to an analysis by the Washington Post.
"As painful as it was. All the things that people were saying. I felt like this was the perfect time to be able to educate people on the process and how things actually go because we didn't know either going into it. We just knew we wanted to have a baby," said Judy.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 06: Da Brat during the Lovers & Friends music festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on May 06, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Kaitlyn Morris/FilmMagic)
Da Brat, who is 49 years old, underwent embryo transfer, the last part of in vitro fertilization. Judy's eggs and the donor's sperm are fertilized in a lab and transferred into her uterus. The journey was painful at times. Judy was hospitalized with blood clots and developed an enlarged heart, a rare condition, after her egg retrieval. The couple also suffered a miscarriage.
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"Watching her in [at] that moment, I was like, okay, so maybe we need to take a break because no matter how much I can try to counsel her, I can't. I could not fix that. And I was hurt, but she was devastated," said Judy.
About three days later, Da Brat was ready to try again, saying, "I didn't want to give up."
Da Brat (L) and Jesseca "Judy" Dupart attend AMC Networks Summit 2022 at 74Wythe on September 28, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for AMC Networks)
Judy, a mother of three Black children and a grandchild, wanted Da Brat, whom she affectionately calls 'Beautiful,' to experience motherhood, as did the platinum artist.
"I wanted to be the oven to carry my wife's egg inside. I just wanted to have the baby, like I wanted to experience what the beauty of motherhood is like."
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Da Brat going on to say, "There's no love like it in the world. And I've lived a full life and done everything I've ever wanted to do in life except to have a child. So, what better person than my soul mate, the love of my life, my twin flame, my everything? So, I just didn't want to give up."
The couple is expecting a boy in July.
Season 3 of "Brat Loves Judy" follows the couple's fertility journey and changing family dynamics. You can expect a few guest appearances by Da Brat's famous sister. "Brat Loves Judy" airs every Thursday night at nine on WE tv.