10 Most Famous Celebrity Adoptions

According to the numbers, there are about 135,000 adoptions every year in the United States. Historically, it’s a topic that isn’t talked about much, but it’s more common that most people think. In fact, many popular celebrities have adopted, or been adopted. In this month’s blog post, we’re sharing a list of 10 of the most famous celebrities involved with adoption to help show what an integral part of life adoption actually is.

We’ll start with a list of celebrities who have adopted children:

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

While they’re no longer married, likely the most well-known example of celebrity adoption is Brad and Angelina. They have six children, and three of their children (Maddox, Zahara and Pax) were adopted.

Maddox is from Cambodia, Zahara is from Ethiopia, and Pax is from Vietnam.

“We travel often to Asia, Africa, Europe, where they were born. The boys know they’re from Southeast Asia, and they have their food and their music and their friends, and they have a pride particular to them.”

Hugh Jackman

Hugh Jackman and his wife were unable to have biological children. After several miscarriages and failed IVF treatments, Hugh and his wife Deb decided on adoption. They have two beautiful children now – Ava and Oscar.

“I don’t think of them as adopted, they’re our children. Deb and I are believers in… I suppose you could call it destiny. We feel things happened the way they are meant to.”

Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock is an Oscar winner and one of America’s most beloved actresses. In her Oscar-winning performance in the movie The Blind Side, she played a suburban mother who takes in a homeless high school student and becomes his legal guardian. She’s also an adoptive mother in real life – after Hurricane Katrina, she adopted two children from foster care in Louisiana.

“The beautiful thing that I was constantly told was, ‘The perfect child will find you. You will find your child. When it does happen, you know exactly what they’re talking about.”

Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron is another award-winning actress – and one of the highest paid actresses in the world. Most people don’t realize that she is also an adoptive mother of two children. She first adopted Jackson from South Africa, her home country. Later, she adopted August in America.

“I wanted to believe that somehow my child would find me in the way that we were just meant to be. So I wasn’t specific with anything. In whatever country they would allow me as a single woman to adopt, that’s where I filed.”

Viola Davis

Another award-winning actress, Viola is the first African American woman to receive the “Triple Crown of Acting” – she has won an Emmy, two Tony Awards and one Academy Award. Even with so many accolades, Viola’s pride and joy is her adopted daughter, Genesis.

“There are so many ways to mother rather than to carry a child in your body. So many children need parents, and so many of us want to mother.”

Lionel Richie

Lionel Richie is a household name – he has sold millions of albums throughout his lengthy career in the music industry. When one of his bandmates was having a difficult time raising his young daughter, Lionel decided to take her in. Nicole was 3 years old when she became part of the Richie family. Six years later, she was officially adopted by Lionel and his wife, Brenda.

“So it took about maybe a year for me to just fall in love [with Nicole] and she was a little button, and of course by that time I was Dad.”

We also wanted to share a list of celebrities who were adopted:

Simone Biles

Quite possibly the biggest gymnastics sensation in the world, Simone Biles was placed in foster care as a young child. Her birth mother struggled with drug addiction and could not provide a stable home for Simone and her siblings. Simone was adopted by her grandparents, Ron and Nellie Biles, when she was 6 years old.

“Growing up, my biological mom was suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and she was in and out of jail. My parents saved me. There’s nothing I could say to them to thank them enough.”

Steve Jobs

The visionary founder of Apple transformed the technological landscape and left behind leadership lessons that many people are still learning from today. Steve’s biological mother was young and not financially stable, so she placed him for adoption. Paul and Clara Jobs adopted Steve when he was an infant in a closed adoption.

“Knowing I was adopted may have made me feel more independent, but I have never felt abandoned. I’ve always felt special.”

Keegan-Michael Key

Comedian, producer, and actor Keegan-Michael Key is famous the world over. When he was an infant, Key was adopted by Michael Key and Patricia Walsh. His adoptive parents later divorced, but he remains close to his adoptive mother. In his twenties, he began a relationship with his biological mother.

“I know my biological mother quite well, and we have a wonderful, wonderful relationship. And I… it’s the exact same demographic. So my father has passed away. He was African-American. My mother is white. So I was adopted by a couple that was of a similar dynamic as my biological parents.”

Faith Hill

Faith Hill is an incredibly well-known and Grammy Award-winning country music artist. She was adopted as an infant by Ted and Edna Perry. She felt supported and loved by her parents, but always had a curiosity about her birth mother, so at age 19, Faith began a search for her birth mother. Shortly after beginning her search, she found her birth mother and biological brother.

“I have a lot of respect for my birth mother and no feeling of anger or any of that.”

Adoption is a beautiful choice for everyone involved

Hopefully this post helped to show you that every adoption is unique and beautiful. If you’re currently considering adoption – whether you’re thinking about placing your child or you’re an adoptive family looking to grow, Lifetree can help guide you through the adoption process. Call us any time at 972-491-3333 or contact us through our site and we’ll answer all of your questions!

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