17 Celebs Who Found a Place in Their Hearts for Adopted Kids

Thanks to the Internet and social media, some people think that celebrities have it easy. After all, they have tons of money and staff to help them with things. But when it comes to parenthood, we’re all equal. And for many people — including the celebrities in this article — the journey to parenthood included the conscious choice to adopt children.

Here at Bright Side, we love when famous people set trends, especially when it’s about adopting children. Scroll down to see which celebrities have enough love to share with kids who aren’t biologically theirs.

1. Charlize Theron and her 2 daughters, Jackson and August

Charlize Theron adopted 2 daughters: Jackson in 2012, and August in 2015. As Theron shares, she was interested in adoption since childhood, as soon as she found out about orphanages and the number of children there. In 2019, Theron revealed that Jackson was a trans girl. She stated that the girls were born who they are, and it’s entirely up to them who and where they want to be — it’s not for her to decide.

2. Tom Cruise and his son, Connor

Tom Cruise and his second wife, Nicole Kidman, adopted 2 children: Isabella Jane (born in 1992) and Connor Antony (born in 1995). Today, Connor is 26 years old.

3. Diane Keaton and her son, Duke, and daughter, Dexter

Diane Keaton decided to become a mother at age 50 and adopted 2 children, daughter Dexter (adopted in 1996) and son Duke (2001). She later said that motherhood has completely changed her.

4. Katherine Heigl and her daughters, Adalaide (on the left) and Nancy Leigh (on the right)

Katherine Heigl and singer Josh Kelley got married in 2007, and in 2009 they adopted a girl from South Korea, Nancy Leigh.

In 2012, they welcome their second adopted daughter, Adalaide. In 2016, Heigl also gave birth to a son, Joshua Bishop.

5. Hugh Jackman and his daughter, Ava

Hugh Jackman married Deborra-Lee Furness in April 1996. After they had miscarriages, they adopted 2 children, Oscar and Ava.

6. Viola Davis and her daughter, Genesis

Davis married actor Julius Tennon in 2003, and in 2011, they decided to adopt an infant daughter. Davis is also a stepmother to her husband Julius’ 2 children from previous relationships.

7. Sharon Stone’s 3 sons, Roan Joseph, Quinn Kelly, and Laird Vonne

Sharon Stone suffered several miscarriages, so she and her husband, Phil Bronstein, were unable to have biological children. They adopted a son, Roan Joseph Bronstein, in 2000. After the divorce, Stone adopted her second son, Laird Vonne, in 2005, and her third son, Quinn Kelly Stone, in 2006.

8. Thomas Rhett’ daughter, Willa

In 2017, Thomas Rhett, an American singer, and his wife, Lauren Akins, announced that they were going to adopt a baby girl from Uganda, Willa Gray Akins (born in 2015) while expecting another baby girl, Ada James Akins. Now they have 3 daughters, including Lennon Love Akins, who was born in February 2020.

9. Connie Britton’ son, Eyob

In November 2011, Connie Britton adopted her son, Eyob ’Yoby’ when he was just 9 months old. Britton said that she had no idea what she was getting into, she only knew that she wanted to be a mom.

10. Madonna adopted 4 kids: twins Estere and Stella, David Banda, and Mercy James

David was the first child Madonna adopted — in 2006, the singer found the 13-month-old boy with pneumonia at a Malawi orphanage that she partially funded, and she fell in love with him. Mercy was a 4-year-old orphan suffering from malaria when Madonna adopted her in 2007. In February 2017, Madonna adopted twin sisters from Malawi, Estere and Stella.

“I met Mercy soon after I met my son, David. Mercy was suffering from malaria, and David, from pneumonia. And when I held each of them in my arms, I whispered in their ears that I would look after them,” said Madonna.

11. Ewan McGregor’s daughter, Jamyan

Together with his wife, Eve Mavrakis (now ex-wife), Ewan McGregor has 4 daughters, one of which is an adopted girl from Mongolia, named Jamyan, who is now 20.

12. Mary-Louise Parker, her adopted daughter, Caroline Aberash, and her biological son, William Atticus

As a single mother, Mary-Louise Parker decided to go for adoption and expand her family of 2 in 2007, and she admits that at first, it was intimidating. Parker explained that she chose Ethiopia, where she adopted her baby girl, Caroline Aberash Parker, because she wanted to go somewhere where there was a need.

13. Denise Richards and her daughter, Eloise

Denise Richards welcomed Eloise into her family in 2011, shortly after her birth, and gave her the middle name Joni in honor of her mother. Richards also has 2 other daughters with her ex-husband, Charlie Sheen, Lola Rose and Sam.

14. Sheryl Crow and her son, Wyatt

The famous singer actually adopted 2 boys — Wyatt in 2007 and Levi in 2010. Though she’s very protective of her children, Crow shared that having children has made her rethink what’s important and she stopped wanting to spend nights away from home.

15. Jillian Michaels and her daughter, Lukensia

The fitness guru brought her adopted daughter Lukensia home from Haiti in 2012 after a lengthy adoption process. In fact, Jillian Michaels has 2 children with her ex-fiancée, Heidi Rhoades. Apart from Lukensia, the former couple has a son (Phoenix Michaels Rhoades) that Rhoades gave birth to.

16. Emma Thompson with her family, including her son from Rwanda

In 2003, Emma Thompson and her husband adopted a former child soldier, Tindyebwa Agaba, from Rwanda. They met 16-year-old Tindy at a Refugee Council and invited him over for Christmas dinner. Then he came on holiday to Scotland with them and slowly became part of the family. Thompson shares that, for her family, it’s not about blood ties but connection, and that’s the center of everything for her.

17. Angelina Jolie and her daughter, Zahara

The 3 eldest of Angelina Jolie’s 6 children are adopted, including Zahara, who was born in 2005 in Ethiopia. The actress has described her eldest daughter as ’’an extraordinary African woman" who has taught her much. Jolie is clearly passionate about adoption and believes that giving kids a loving home brings so much to the parents as well. She explained, ’’All adopted children come with a beautiful mystery of a world that is meeting yours. They are not entering your world, you are entering each other’s worlds."

Do you know other celebrities with adopted kids that we can add to the list? We’d be happy to see your comments in the section below.

Amidst whispers of a budding romance, Tom Cruise and Shakira were spotted together at the 2023 Miami Formula One Grand Prix. While their relationship status remains unconfirmed, their chemistry is undeniable. Cruise, known for his high-profile relationships with Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes, has recently been linked to the Colombian singer. Sources suggest that Cruise is deeply interested in Shakira, even sending her flowers, hinting at more than just a casual interaction. Meanwhile, Shakira, fresh from her split with Gerard Piqué, delivered an empowering speech about self-worth and independence at the Latin Women in Music gala.

Angelina Jolie’s philanthropic efforts extend beyond her family. She has been recognized for her humanitarian work, particularly in relation to refugees, poverty alleviation, and nature conservation. Her dedication to women’s rights, health awareness, and disaster relief further underscores her commitment to making a positive impact on the world.