Surrogate sues Chinese parents of 26 she claims duped her: ‘Tell me the truth about the baby I carried’
Silvia Zhang, 38, and Guojun Xuan, 65, are the target of an investigation by authorities.
A Nevada-based surrogate said she thought she was helping a Chinese couple “longing for a miracle baby” when she delivered a child for them. Now, she is among several surrogates seeking answers after 21 children were removed from the care of Guojun Xuan, 65, and Silvia Zhang, 38, in Arcadia, California, last year.
Tronderrica James, 30, claims she was aggressively recruited by “Jasmine,” a representative for the couple who contacted her through a Facebook surrogacy group, according to a lawsuit. She alleges she was given false and misleading information about the family and their intentions.
“What you did… is foul, reckless and cruel,” James wrote in an August 2025 email to Xuan and Zhang, court records obtained by The Post show. “Tell me the truth about what happened to the baby I carried — the baby you named Poppy.” Her experience mirrors that of other surrogates who say they were misled after being contacted by representatives from Mark Surrogacy or Future Spring Surrogacy via Facebook.
The women were told they would be carrying children for a Chinese couple in Los Angeles who had one or no children and that a “language barrier” prevented direct communication with the couple, according to James’ lawsuit. None of the surrogates were informed that the agencies were actually controlled by Xuan and Zhang.
The couple, who are unmarried, were arrested on suspicion of child abuse and neglect in May 2025 and are currently out on bond, an Arcadia Police spokesperson told The Post. They remain under a state child abuse investigation, though no criminal charges have been filed.
In the past six months, five more surrogate-born babies for Xuan and Zhang have been born in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Georgia, according to reports. Authorities were alerted when the couple’s two-month-old son suffered traumatic injuries that hospital staff suspected were caused by abuse.
Disturbing images of the infant viewed by The Post show him in a head and neck brace in the ICU after being admitted “shaking and vomiting,” according to court records. Authorities later determined the injuries were caused by a nanny, who was captured on security cameras, and an arrest report was issued for the nanny, Chunmei Li.
Police also found 15 children under the age of three in Xuan and Zhang’s nine-bedroom Arcadia home. Six more children were later located in nearby homes with friends or family.
Xuan and Zhang claim they are parents to all 21 children and say they simply want a large family. They are currently fighting in court to regain custody in four states. The couple, both originally from China, are believed to have one child together naturally, and Xuan is reportedly the father of a 13-year-old daughter, according to NBC.
Some surrogates are seeking custody of the babies they carried. Hallie Weaver, 30, from Georgia, was weeks away from giving birth to a baby she was told was Zhang’s genetic child when she learned about the investigations. “Their whole profile was a lie,” she told Courthouse News. She is now pursuing adoption of the child, whom she named Gabriel.
Other surrogates, including Melissa Epps and Stacy King in Virginia, were sued by Xuan and Zhang for breach of contract after cutting off contact before giving birth last fall. The lawsuits seek custody of the newborns and $1 million from each woman, despite initial contracts of $70,000 and $45,000 plus expenses.
James and her husband, Travis, who live in Nevada, are seeking up to $100 million in punitive damages, alleging fraud, breach of contract, and emotional distress. James signed a surrogacy agreement in 2024. “You gambled with my life. You gambled with the life of a child,” she wrote in an August 2025 email. “You exploited my trust, my body and my motherhood.”
Another surrogate, Kayla Elliott, gave birth to one of the couple’s children in March 2025 and wants custody of the baby, now in state care. “I definitely think there’s some type of trafficking going on. Nobody in their right mind wants 21 children, and especially all at one time,” she told NewsNation.
Police reports indicate surveillance footage from Xuan and Zhang’s home showed toddlers being spanked and slapped by nannies. Authorities believe the couple were aware of the abuse and allowed it to continue.
The FBI has reportedly been involved to investigate whether the couple misled surrogates across the country, though the agency has not confirmed its involvement. The Wall Street Journal reports the probe may include whether the couple were selling babies, a claim Zhang denied, saying, “We never sell our babies. We take care of them very well.”
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