Fredrik Eklund Reveals Why He Wanted to Share His Devastating Baby News
The #MDLNY agent opens up about his decision to discuss his surrogate's miscarriage on the show.
Fredrik Eklund and husband Derek Kaplan experienced a devastating loss in 2015, when their surrogate miscarried while she was carrying the couple's twins. The Million Dollar Listing New York agent and the artist had been expecting a boy and a girl, as he confirmed in his MDLNY cast blog. On Thursday night's season premiere, the life-changing moment was addressed head-on, even if Fredrik, who had long wanted to become a father, had some misgivings about even appearing on the show at all after it all happened.
"I watched it and I feel OK watching it," Fredrik told The Daily Dish about the difficult episode. "I'm very proud of this season for me. It's not that I wasn't honest in the other seasons, but I think [and] I hope everyone's going to see a different side of me."
During the episode, Fredrik tearfully recalls the news that he and Derek had lost the babies, and he knew crying on camera was inevitable. "When I decided I was going to do it, I said [the only way to do it] is to have no filter. And I knew I was going to start crying when I sat in that chair because I had already been crying for weeks... Therefore I don't feel nervous at all [to have it out there]; it's the weirdest thing. I think the previous seasons, when you've done things that didn't feel so authentic or you elevated it too much or did something, then it's like you have this nervousness or hesitation. And now I just feel — I feel really good about it."
When we spoke to Fredrik on Thursday ahead of the premiere, Derek had yet to see the episode as he was returning from a trip to London that same day. "I hope I'm going to watch it with him tonight," Fredrik said. "I think he thinks it's a little too much, maybe. He's much more [private]."
If anything, Fredrik hopes that talking about his experience can help others who might be going through a similar situation. "It's one of those topics I think that no one ever talks about. I didn't know that 'cause I had no knowledge of IVF or surrogacy or miscarriages or any of that," he said. "Maybe because we're two guys, but since all of this happened I realized it's a subject that a lot of people go through and for some reason [keep quiet about]. I think it's because when it happens to you, you feel flawed or broken. I can only imagine if you're a woman and that happens to you in a relationship it's even worse, because this wasn't my body and still yet I'm so sad and upset."
Fellow MDLNY agent Luis D. Ortiz applauded Fredrik for letting viewers into this difficult time in his life. "I think it's a great episode. I think for your story, a lot people knew about what happened through media outlets, but nobody has actually seen it from your preservative," he said during the trio's visit to Bravo HQ. "Nobody has heard what you have to say about all of this. So I think it's great to see that, including myself. When I saw it, I thought it was, I said in a weird way, it was great how we talk about something so unfortunate."
Ryan Serhant noted that it's moments like these that make Season 5 so particularly interesting. "The whole season is very honest and raw," he said. "And we kind of kicked our shoes off and whatever happens, happens."
Find out what else is to come on MDLNY Season 5, which airs Thursdays at 9/8c.
