Famous Hollywood Stars Who Adopted Children

Millie Bobby Brown

In 2025, Millie Bobby Brown and her husband, Jake Bongiovi, adopted a baby girl, a decision the Stranger Things star has said felt like part of her life plan long before she even considered fame. Just months before the news broke, Millie had talked about wanting to be a young mom, and now she’s embracing it.

Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock adopted her son, Louis, in 2010, and her daughter, Laila, in 2015. Laila’s adoption followed time in foster care, and Bullock has praised social workers and the intensive, child-first process that led to permanency. She’s shared selective, candid moments of how Louis’ arrival changed her life during a turbulent period.

Cate Blanchett

Cate and her husband Andrew Upton adopted a baby girl, Edith Vivian Patricia, joining their three sons at home. Cate called the whole experience “wonderful,” and admitted the family was completely smitten with their newest arrival. Her boys, used to growing up in a house full of brothers, suddenly had a little sister to fuss over, and they couldn’t have been happier.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt built a family that grabbed more headlines than their movies. Jolie adopted Maddox from Cambodia in 2002 and Zahara from Ethiopia in 2005. Pitt soon joined in, flying with her to bring Zahara home and later making it official by adopting both children in 2006. A year later, they added Pax from Vietnam, with Pitt also becoming his legal dad soon after. Together earlier, and now separately, they have taught their kids to honor their roots, no matter what it is.

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro became a father for the first time in 1976 when he adopted his wife, Diahnne Abbott’s, daughter, Drena. She took his last name and grew up as part of his family, later starting her own career in acting and directing. Over the years, De Niro went on to have more children through both biological and surrogate births, but his first step into fatherhood was through adoption.

Madonna

Madonna may be the Queen of Pop, but she’s also the queen of a big, blended family built through both birth and adoption. She adopted David Banda from Malawi in 2006, Mercy James in 2009 after a highly publicized court battle, and twin sisters Estere and Stella in 2017. Alongside her biological daughter Lourdes and son Rocco, Madonna proudly calls all six of her kids her “shining stars.”

Diane Keaton

Diane Keaton embraced motherhood in her 50s when she adopted her daughter, Dexter, in 1996 and her son, Duke, in 2001, becoming a single mom by choice. She’s said calling adoption “the smartest thing” she ever did, and that being a mom has been both life-changing and humbling. While she once doubted her readiness, she “plunged in” when the time was right. She raised her kids privately, and they’ve largely stayed out of the spotlight.

Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron adopted Jackson in 2012 and August in 2015, describing adoption as a path she had envisioned since childhood. She has said that growing up in South Africa, visiting orphanages, and witnessing community-based care made adoption feel like a natural choice.

Viola Davis

In 2011, Viola Davis and her husband, Julius Tennon, adopted their daughter Genesis. Davis calls her the biggest blessing of her life and often says Genesis was “meant for us.” She shares small, funny moments about her daughter, but also discusses the serious side of raising a Black daughter with confidence and pride.

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise built a family together back in 90s. In 1992, they adopted their daughter, Isabella Jane, and three years later, in 1995, they welcomed their son, Connor Anthony, through adoption as well. Both kids grew up largely out of the spotlight, later choosing their own paths as adults. After Kidman and Cruise split in 2001, Isabella and Connor mostly stayed with their father, while Kidman has always emphasized her enduring love for them.

Sharon Stone

Sharon Stone’s path to motherhood led her to build a family she treasures. She adopted three sons, Roan in 2000, Laird in 2005, and Quinn in 2006. After facing pregnancy losses and health scares, adoption became her way forward, though the process came with its own challenges. Today, Stone lights up when talking about raising her “wonderful young men.”

Meg Ryan

Meg Ryan lived one of her favorite love stories when she became a mom and adopted her daughter, Daisy True, in 2006. Traveling to China as a single parent, Ryan said the moment she met Daisy felt “perfect,” like destiny had finally shown up. She often explains it as Daisy being “born in her heart,” a bond that was instant. Over the years, Ryan has kept their life intentionally private and raised Daisy away from the limelight.

Kristin Davis

Kristin Davis always knew it was how she wanted to become a mom. In 2011, she welcomed her daughter, Gemma Rose, and in 2018, her son, Wilson, joined the family. For Davis, motherhood has been about more than bedtime stories and school runs; it’s also about raising her kids to feel confident in their identities as part of a transracial family. She often talks about the “village” behind her: the social workers, teachers, and close friends who help keep life grounded.

Katherine Heigl

Katherine Heigl and her husband, Josh Kelley, built their family through both adoption and birth. They welcomed their daughter, Naleigh, from South Korea in 2009, their daughter, Adalaide, through a U.S. adoption in 2012, and their son, Joshua, by birth in 2016. For Heigl, adoption was always part of the plan; her own sister was adopted from Korea. She’s spoken about the joy of bonding with her daughters and honoring their birth stories, even calling Adalaide’s adoption “serendipitous” because of how quickly the match happened.

Jamie Lee Curtis

Jamie Lee Curtis often says her greatest role isn’t on screen, but instead being a mom. With her husband Christopher Guest, she adopted daughter Annie in 1986 and Ruby in 1996. For Curtis, adoption wasn’t second best; it was the way she wanted to build a family. She’s spoken about being open and honest with her kids about their beginnings, while celebrating who they’ve become.

Hugh Jackman

Hugh Jackman and his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, adopted their son, Oscar, in 2000, and their daughter, Ava, in 2005. Jackman has spoken about the struggles they faced before adoption, including miscarriages and IVF, and says adoption brought them great joy. Furness, who has long supported adoption causes, helped shape their family’s values of openness and respect for birth families. Even at the height of his career, Jackman has made time for school events and everyday family life.

Ewan McGregor

Ewan McGregor’s journey into fatherhood took an unexpected but life-changing turn in 2006. While filming a travel series, he met Jamyan in Mongolia, and soon after, he and his then-wife, Eve Mavrakis, adopted her. Five years later, their family grew again with the adoption of daughter Anouk. McGregor has said those moments reshaped his entire outlook, teaching him new depths of love and care.

Denise Richards

In 2011, Denise Richards adopted her youngest daughter, Eloise Joni, naming her after her late mother. Soon after, Denise learned that Eloise had a rare chromosome condition, which makes speech and learning more difficult. Even though that brought challenges like endless therapy and doctor visits, Denise says Eloise is “a bright light” who fills their home with joy. At the same time, her older daughters, Sami and Lola, stepped in as loving big sisters to help and cheer Eloise on. Because of this, Denise often explains that adoption wasn’t just about expanding her family; it was about finding the missing piece that made them whole.

Ty Burrell

For years, fans loved watching Ty Burrell bumble his way through fatherhood as Phil Dunphy on Modern Family. Off-screen, though, he’s built a real-life family of his own with wife Holly. The couple adopted their first daughter, Frances, in 2010, and added their little sister, Greta, in 2012. Burrell has laughed that no sitcom could prepare him for parenthood, but he lights up when talking about the unscripted, everyday joys of being a dad.

Michelle Pfeiffer

Before meeting her husband David E. Kelley, Michelle Pfeiffer had already made one of the biggest decisions of her life — to adopt a child. In 1993, she brought home a baby girl named Claudia Rose, and just like that, her world changed. The timing was almost cinematic: Michelle was in the middle of the adoption process when she met Kelley, who instantly embraced the role of dad. A year later, the couple had a son, John, and the family of four was complete.

Connie Britton

In 2011, Connie Britton adopted Eyob, known lovingly as Yoby, from Ethiopia when he was just under a year old. Already single and in her mid-40s, she realized after losing her parents that she didn’t want to wait for a partner to become a mom. The journey was emotional and, at times, overwhelming. She even joked she didn’t look in the mirror for a full year, but the moment she held Yoby made it all worth it. With the support of a nanny, she successfully balanced motherhood and her career in Nashville.

Edie Falco

Edie Falco didn’t let age or being single stop her from becoming a mom. In 2005, she adopted her son Anderson, and in 2008, her daughter Macy. She says the bond was instant: “The second you are handed a newborn, it is yours.” Adoption feels so natural that her kids once thought that’s just how every family is made. Falco keeps them out of the spotlight, but she lights up when she talks about the chaos of school mornings or the sweetness of bedtime.

Burt Reynolds

In 1988, Burt Reynolds and Loni Anderson adopted their son, Quinton, just after their wedding, and from the start, Reynolds called fatherhood his proudest role. While his marriage to Anderson ended in a highly publicized divorce, his devotion to Quinton never waned. In fact, he kept him out of the spotlight and later set up a trust to secure his future.

Mary-Louise Parker

In 2007, Mary-Louise Parker crossed continents to meet the little girl who would forever change her life: her daughter, Caroline “Ash” Aberash. Just two years old when she was adopted from Ethiopia, Ash joined Parker’s son William and instantly became the heart of their family. Parker has never seen adoption as a backup plan; she’s called it a calling, describing the journey as “humbling” and “amazing.”

Rosario Dawson

Rosario Dawson’s journey into motherhood came with its own Hollywood-worthy twist. Back in 2014, she adopted her daughter Isabella, or Isa, as she’s lovingly called, when Isa was 11 years old. Most stars tend to adopt babies, but Rosario chose a different path. She knew Isa’s biological mother and stepped in when Isa was in foster care. “It was meant to be,” Rosario has said, and it shows in the bond they share today.