There are many celebrities whose lives have been touched by adoption. This is our top list of well-known celebrities who have been involved in adoption and may have spoken about adoption.
(Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/briansolis/15626080735/)
– Al Roker is a weather forecaster who is a weatherman on NBC’s Today show. In the ‘80s, he and his wife adopted an infant girl.
(Source: David Shankbone)
– Andy Dick is an American comedian. He was adopted, and he has met his birth parents.
(Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/foreignoffice/14217374639/)
– Angelina Jolie is an American actress who has played roles in movies like Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Maleficent. She has three biological children (Shiloh, Vivienne, and Knox) with her previous husband, Brad Pitt. Her other three children “Maddox, Zahara and Pax were adopted from orphanages in Cambodia, Ethiopia and Vietnam, respectively,” according to The Sun.
(Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dodnewsfeatures/15570734006/)
– Brad Pitt is an actor known for movies like Fight Club. He and his ex-wife, Angelina Jolie, have three biological children, Shiloh, Vivienne, and Knox. Along with Angelina, he also has three adopted children from various countries, Maddox, Zahara, and Pax.
– Calista Flockhart is an actress who is featured in movies and shows like Ally McBeal. She adopted a boy named Liam in 2001.
(Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/146461623@N05/27924434047)
– Cate Blanchett is an Australian actress who recently starred in Thor: Ragnarok. She and her husband have three biological boys, and in 2015, they adopted their daughter named Edith.
(Source: Gage Skidmore)
– Charlize Theron is a South African and American actress well-known for her roles in movies like Mad Max: Fury Road. She has adopted, as a single woman, two children named August and Jackson.
(Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hayesandjenn/8378767757/)
– Connie Britton is an actress known for her roles in movies and TV shows like Nashville and American Horror Story. She adopted her son Yoby from Ethiopia as an infant in 2011.
– David Crosby sang Almost Cut My Hair, this was one of his top hits as an American singer. His son was placed for adoption as a baby and has since reunited with David Crosby.
(Source: Glenn Francis)
– Denise Richards has acted in multiple TV shows and movies over the years. Recently seen in The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, she adopted her daughter Eloise in 2011 and she has two biological children named Sam and Lola. According to Bravo TV, her current husband plans to adopt Eloise as well.
(Source: Ruven Afanador)
– Diane Keaton is an American actress who has played in movies like Something’s Gotta Give. She has adopted two children as a single woman.
(Source: David Shankbone)
– Edie Falco is an actress who has played roles in movies and shows like The Sopranos. As a single woman, she adopted her children, Anderson and Macy.
(Source: Georges Biard)
– Emma Thompson is an English actress known for her roles in films like Sense and Sensibility and Saving Mr. Banks. She and her husband, Greg Wise, have a biological daughter named Gala and an unofficially adopted son from Rwanda, Tindyebwa Agaba.
(Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ewan_McGregor_66%C3%A8me_Festival_de_Venise_(Mostra)_3.jpg)
– Ewan McGregor is a Scottish actor who has played in shows and movies like Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. He and his previous wife have three biological children and one adopted child.
(Source: John Mathew Smith)
– Faith Hill is a country singer known for songs like There You’ll Be. As an infant, she was adopted, since then she has been able to reunite with her birth family.
(Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/26133382@N08/5255451109)
– Hoda Kotb (on the right) is an Egyptian American broadcast journalist who co-hosts The Today Show, an NBC news morning show. As a single woman, she has adopted two daughters named Hope and Haley.
(Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/31029865@N06/37614277735/)
– Hugh Jackman is an Australian actor known for his acting in movies like X-Men and The Greatest Showman. He and his wife have adopted two kids, Ava and Oscar.
(Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/vic_sf49/5594065986)
– Ice-T is a musician and an actor. He plays a part in the show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. His mother passed away when he was a child and his father passed away a few years after. He was then raised by his aunt.
(Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/samhsa/5736934616/)
– Jamie Lee Curtis is an American actress known for movies and TV shows like True Lies and New Girl. She has also written multiple children’s books. One of them is called Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born, and it was written about an adopted girl. She and her husband have adopted two kids, Annie and Thomas.
– JC Chasez is a singer who was part of the boy band NSYNC. At the age of 5, he was adopted by his birth mother’s former foster parents.
(Source: Gage Skidmore)
– Jenna Ushkowitz is an actress who had a major role in the show Glee and other major roles in Broadway productions. She is a Korean adoptee who was raised in New York.
(Source: Gage Skidmore)
– Jillian Michaels is a personal trainer who has worked on TV shows like The Biggest Loser. She and her previous partner, Heidi Rhoades, have one son named Phoenix and an adopted daughter named Lukensia.
– Joni Mitchell is a Canadian singer with songs like Both Sides Now. She placed her daughter for adoption when she was young and single. Since then, she has reunited with her daughter.
(Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/58820009@N05/8743735964)
– Julie Andrews is a well-known actress for her roles in films like Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. She has one biological child and two daughters she adopted from Vietnam in the ‘70s.
(Source: David Shankbone)
– Kate Mulgrew is known for her roles in shows like Star Trek: Voyager. She is an actress who placed her daughter for adoption. They have since been reunited.
(Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Katherine_Heigl_at_27_Dresses_Premiere_9.jpg)
– Katherine Heigl is an American actress known for appearances in movies and shows like Grey’s Anatomy and 27 Dresses. Together with her husband, she has adopted two girls named Naleigh and Adalaide. They also have a biological son named Joshua.
(Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/peabodyawards/14066834270/)
– Keegan-Michael Key is a comedian and actor and is well-known for his appearances on the show Key and Peele. He was adopted by social workers as a child and reunited with his birth mom when he was 25.
(Source: Alan Light)
– Kirstie Alley is an actress who has been featured in movies and shows like Cheers. Along with her previous husband, she adopted a boy and a girl, William and Lillie respectively.
(Source: Gage Skidmore)
– Kristin Chenoweth acts on stage and on the screen. She is well-known for her part in the musical Wicked and the TV show Glee, along with many other appearances. As a baby, she was adopted by Jerry and Junie Chenoweth.
(Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/minglemediatv/6345155906)
– Kristin Davis is an actress who has played in movies and shows like Sex and the City. As a child, she was adopted by her stepfather. She has adopted a boy and a girl as a single woman.
(Source: Dwight McCann)
– Lionel Richie is a famous singer who adopted Nicole Richie when she was a child. Nicole Richie went to live with his family when she was 4 years old. The adoption was made official when she was 9 years old.
(Source: David Shankbone)
– Madonna is a singer known for hits like La Isla Bonita and Like a Prayer. She has two biological children, Lourdes and Rocco, and four adopted children, David, Mercy, Esther, and Stella.
(Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/neontommy/15333165438/)
– Magic Johnson is a retired American professional basketball player. He and his wife have three children—two are biological children and one child was adopted.
(Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mariska_Hargitay_filming_SVU_July_2011_cropped.jpg)
– Mariska Hargitay is an actress well-known for her role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She and her husband have one biological son named August and two adopted children named Amaya and Andrew.
(Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mary-Louise_Parker_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg)
– Mary-Louise Parker is an actress known for her work in shows and movies like Red. She has one biological son named William Atticus and a daughter named Caroline “Ash” Aberash, who she adopted as a single woman.
(Source: David Shankbone)
– Meg Ryan is an American actress well-known for roles in movies like Sleepless in Seattle. She has a biological son named Jack and an adopted daughter named Daisy.
(Source:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mercedes-Ruehl-eh.jpg)
– Mercedes Ruehl is an American theater actress. She placed a son for adoption as a young single woman and has since reunited with him. After she married her current husband, they adopted a boy.
(Source: Jeremiah Christopher)
– Michelle Pfeiffer is an actress known for her roles in movies like Batman Returns. In 1993, she adopted her daughter, Claudia. She also has a biological son named John.
(Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/46708114@N07/5515190562)
– Nia Vardalos is a Canadian-American actress known for her roles in movies like My Big Fat Greek Wedding. She and her then-husband adopted a girl named Ilaria in 2008 after struggling with fertility.
(Source: Georges Biard)
– Nicole Kidman is an actress who recently played in the movie Aquaman. In the early 2000s, she and her ex-husband, Tom Cruise, adopted their kids, Connor and Bella. She also has two biological children named Sunday Rose and Faith with her current husband, Keith Urban.
(Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Snooki_in_Chicago.jpg)
– Nicole Polizzi is known for her nickname “Snooki” and she was featured on the reality show Jersey Shore. She was adopted as a baby in Chile.
(Source: Georges Biard)
– Ray Liotta is well-known for his role in Goodfellas. He was adopted as a baby. In his 40s, he reunited with his birth parents and meet biological siblings for the first time.
(Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Roseanne_Hard_Rock_Cafe.jpg)
– Roseanne Barr is an actress well-known for her role in Roseanne, she does a lot of advocating for the adoption community. She had a daughter, prior to her marriage with Bill Pentland, who she placed for adoption.
(Source: Gage Skidmore)
– Sandra Bullock is an actress well-known for movies like The Blind Side. She has adopted two kids named Laila and Louis.
(Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/greginhollywood/4999299821)
– Sara Rue is an American actress who is known for her roles in shows and films like Pearl Harbor. She and her husband have a biological daughter named Talulah and an adopted daughter named Adelaide. They have an open adoption with Adelaide’s birth mom.
(Source: Gage Skidmore)
– Sharon Stone is an American actress who has played in films and TV shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She adopted one son, Roan, with her ex-husband. Her other kids, Laird and Quinn, she adopted later by herself.
(Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/minglemediatv/15820907816/)
– Sheryl Crow is a singer and the adoptive mother of two boys. She adopted her son Wyatt in 2007, and then she adopted her son Levi in 2010.
(Source: Gage Skidmore)
– Steven Spielberg is an American filmmaker who has directed movies like E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and Jaws. He has four biological children named Max, Sasha, Sawyer, and Destry. He also has two adopted children, Theo and Mikaela, and one stepdaughter, Jessica.
(Source: Gage Skidmore)
– Tom Cruise is an actor known for roles in movies like Mission Impossible. Cruise and his ex-wife, Nicole Kidman, adopted two kids while they were married, Connor and Bella. He also has one biological daughter named Suri with his ex-wife Katie Holmes.
(Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ty_Burrell_2_2014.jpg)
– Ty Burrell is an actor who has played roles on stage and on screen. He is most well-known for his role in the show Modern Family. He adopted two daughters—Frances in 2010 and Greta in 2012.
(Source: Gage Skidmore)
– Viola Davis is an actress known for her work in The Help and How to Get Away with Murder, among many other films and shows she’s played in. In 2011, she and her husband adopted their daughter, Genesis.
Throughout the world, there are celebrities who speak about their experiences with adoption. These are some of our top picks of current adoption influencer celebrities. Who would you add to the list?
