12 Celebrities Who Adopted Their Children

I have a real affinity towards couples who choose to adopt. It is giving the promise of a new life and a second chance to a child who truly deserves it after often being dealt some bad hands when it came to their birthing parents. I also think it is incredible when celebrities adopt, because they are then offering a type of a lifestyle to a child who may have suffered and had nothing their whole lives (up to that point).  Here are 12 celebrities who adopted their children.

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Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie: You cannot make a list about celebrities adopting their children and not include these two.  What these two do for these kids is nothing short of remarkable. Multiple adoptions from multiple third-world countries, they give these kids a life they would have never had. It is also super apparent that they both adore their children, and that their family unit is extremely tight. With children from Ethiopia, Cambodia, and Vietnam, it is like a U.N meeting every time they all sit down for dinner.

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Charlize Theron: The thing about Charlize Theron that must drive her mad is how easy it would be for so many to write her off as just another pretty face. She is so much more than that. She is also one of a select bunch of celebrities who adopted their children. At 36 years young, Charlize adopted a baby boy by the name of Jackson. We wont even lie, these two are adorable. Charlize seems to really shine as a mother, and you can see in her eyes she adores Jackson.

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Sandra Bullock: The rumor is that, even though he was a mega star, it still took four years of heavy paperwork and many, many visits before Sandra Bullock adopted Lil Louis, as she is prone to call him. Though the adoption events began while she was married to Jesse James, it went through when she was a single parent, and she would have it no other way. She seems genuinely enamored with her child, and her naturally warm demeanor tells us she must be a great mother. Anyone who gives adoption a chance is great, frankly.

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Nicole Kidman (and Tom Cruise): Though it was both Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman who adopted their son and daughter. Since the breakup, it seems they spend more time with Nicole, as Tom was tending to spend more time with his new family (with Katie Holmes, pre- breakup). Rumor is that there has been some tension in this family dynamic lately, but we cannot prove or disprove those rumors.  Between the face lifts and the Scientology, who knows what’s really going on there?

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Katherine Heigl: We can openly admit that it seems not many people get along with Heigl. From the people she works with to those who know her best, people just do not have nice things to say about Katherine Heigl. But I have one nice thing to say. She is one of our 12 celebrities who adopted their children, and that says more to me than any bad press can about her. Katherine Heigl and her husband traveled to South Korea to adopt their young daughter, Naleigh in 2009, and seem to be one happy family ever since.

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Michelle Pfeiffer: This is one example on the list that is a little crazy and a tad bit unexpected. When Michelle Pfeiffer adopted her daughter Claudia, there were rampant rumors she actually had dodged the adoption process and pretty much “bought” the baby. It died of and we don’t think there’s much truth to it. But that was a pretty big deal in the celebrity adoption world for awhile. I can confidently say I don’t think she bought her baby.

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Sharon Stone: Sharon Stone has actually adopted three young boys. Sadly, hers were more out of necessity, as she had some health problems before and had lost more than one child during birth. She decided after much struggle, that she wanted a family but did not want to go through that loss of trying again. That is when adoption became an option.  In some cases adoption is changing the lives and helping both sides for the better.  Stone is a happy mother of three boys and looks more content with her life then she ever had before.

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High Jackman: I know you noticed the trend of the adoption process being very matriarchal thus far. That is why I wanted to make sure Hugh Jackman made the list. He has said some very profound things about adoption and specifically, mixed race adoption which you see a lot on the list. In his words: Mixed-race babies have such a hard time being adopted that Deb and I checked off that box specifically when we were filling out our forms.  We were definite about it.  Adoption is about taking a baby into your home — and your heart. It’s the best thing we’ve ever done.

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Madonna: Madonna is known for some controversy surrounding the adoption of her two kids. Mainly, the country she was adopting them from (Malawi) did not feel the singer had spent enough time there. Some have even suggested Madonna adopted mix race for the attention it would bring her. Sort of an awful thing to accuse someone of. Thing is, this is Madonna so it’s difficult to really know what the intentions where.  But at the end of the day, we side with her. Kudos for giving two boys a shot at a life they would not had without you.

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Ewan McGregor:  Ewan McGregor seems as awesome in real life as he does in most of the roles he picks. All four of Ewan McGregor’s children have been adopted by him and his wife at different times. This was done with no fan fair to with any need for attention. They simply wanted kids, and knew there were kids out there who needed parents. That is like some real life Jedi stuff right there. Gotta love that guy.

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Diane Keaton: What sets Diane Keaton apart from other celebrities who adopted their children is that she adopted as a single mother at 50 years old. Though we admire her greatly for it,  as that takes a certain level of strength and courage most would not have. The esteemed actress has confessed that it can be incredibly hard at times, but is the most rewarding thing in her life. We stand behind you on that, Diane.

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Steven Spielberg: How awesome is it that Steven Spielberg has two adopted kids, and that those two adopted kids are in an awesome low-fi indie band? Oh, and these two just happen to have a rather famous manager as well.  You may have heard of Jay-Z. The kids are talented, so I know that is why they were signed. Thing is, let’s not pretend that their last name hurt at all. So there you have it. Twelve celebrities who adopted their children. We know we missed a few. There are dozens, and there will be a follow up to this article soon.

(Photo by Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)