Houston surrogacy company owner accused of using clients’ money to fund his rap career – Houston Public Media

The owner of a Houston-based company that facilitates payments from intended parents to their surrogates is accused of stealing millions of dollars from her clients and using the funds to pay for her future music career, real estate, a clothing line and lavish trips around the world, according to court documents filed this week in Harris County.

More than 30 affected families have joined an ongoing lawsuit filed in June against Surrogacy Escrow Account Management (SEAM), its owner Dominique Side and some of its other companies and business associates, according to court documents. A North Texas couple who used the agency’s services filed their own lawsuit last week, and the plaintiffs in both cases were granted temporary injunctions this week by two different Harris County judges who ordered the defendants’ assets frozen while the cases proceed.

Hundreds of customers are affected across the country, according to a court filing by one of the plaintiffs, who accuses Side of transferring more than $2.2 million in escrow funds from expectant parents “to fund his music career as ‘Dom,’ a racy rap and R&B singer and music producer.”

“Hundreds of families are unable to financially support their surrogates or ensure the safe delivery of their babies,” the lawsuit filed on behalf of a Harris County woman states. “Furthermore, hundreds of surrogates across the country – many of whom are pregnant with a child that is not their own – have no way to pay for the prenatal care that is essential to any healthy pregnancy.”

“The defendants’ actions are nothing short of evil,” the complaint also states.

Neither party could be reached for comment on the case Friday. Lawyers for the defendants were not listed in online court records.

Court documents show that Side sent an email to her clients on June 14, stating: “Due to legal action, all operations have been suspended. At this time, I am unable to provide further details on this matter.”

The FBI’s Houston division has asked potential victims of SEAM, or those with information about the company and its operations, to come forward.

According to court documents, not all of the escrow funds paid to SEAM were misappropriated, indicating that the North Texas couple used the company’s services for their first child, born in 2023, and had no problems.

Surrogacy escrow account management companies act as a typical part of a surrogacy contract. Intended parents deposit money to pay for the surrogate’s medical expenses into an account managed by the company.

SEAM, acting as a third party, has been operating since 2015 and was responsible for holding and disbursing the money in accordance with the terms of the surrogacy agreement.

In addition to allegedly using escrow funds to pay for her music projects, including a music studio in Houston, Side is accused of using her parents’ money for a clothing company called Nikki Green and to purchase properties in the Houston area and New Orleans.

The next court hearings in the Harris County cases are scheduled for later this month.