Surprising celebrities who chose adoption

Adoption is a beautiful way to build a family, and several A-list celebrities have taken this beautiful path.

Many stars, who are leading a pitch perfect glamorous life, have opened their hearts and homes to children in need of a loving family.

Many actors and singers such as Angelina Jolie, Madonna and Hugh Jackman, are famous parents of adopted children.

Let's look at some of the most inspiring stories of celebrities who have adopted children and raised them as their own:

Millie Bobby Brown

The Stranger Things actress is the latest actress to adopt a child. 

The 21-year-old actress via Instagram announced in August 2025 that she and husband Jake Bongiovi had welcomed their first baby through adoption.

In her post, Brown wrote, “We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful new chapter of parenthood in peace and privacy. And then there were 3.”

Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman

During Cruise and Kidman’s marriage, the actress unfortunately suffered a miscarriage and lost her first child.

However, after this traumatic experience, the now-former couple decided to adopt two children—daughter, Isabella Jane and son, Connor Anthony.

The children, however, after their parents’ divorce decided to stay with the Mission Impossible star instead.

Apart from the two, Cruise is biological father to daughter Siri, whom he shares with his ex-wife Katie Holmes.

Kidman, on other hand, is the biological mother of two daughters with her husband, Keith Urban.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

The once infamous and inseparable couple adopted children during their dating tenure.

They adopted their first child, Maddox Chivian from Cambodia in 2002 and later daughter Zahara Marley from Ethopia in 2005, and son Pax Thien in 2007.

Pitt and Jolie are also share three biological children: Shiloh, Vivienne, and Knox.

After their divorce, the six children sided the Maria actress and decided to stay with her.

Shiloh, Zahara and Vivienne even decided to drop their father’s name after they turned 18. 

Katherine Heigl

The Ugly Truth actress adopted her first daughter Nancy Leigh Mi Eun Kelley, with her husband Josh Kelley from South Korea in 2009.

The couple later in 2012, adopted another daughter Adalaide Marie Hope from the United States.  

Sia

The Cheap Thrills hitmaker confirmed in May 2020 that she had adopted two teenage sons.

In an interview with Nova 96.9, the 49-year-old singer confessed that while she’d originally planned on having her own children, however, her divorce saw her go down the adoption route.

Sia meanwhile welcomed her third child and first biological baby named Somersault Wonder Bernad, in March 2024.

Viola Davis

The How To Get Away With Murder actress along with her husband Julius Tennon adopted her daughter Genesis, in 2011 and and later adopted a son, Julius, in 2020.

According to the Academy Award winner, she and her husband chose to adopt because they wanted their life to have deeper meaning.

Hugh Jackman

Jackman along with his now ex-wife Deborra-Lee Furness shares two adopted children, Oscar Maximillian, who is now 25, and Ava Eliot, who is now 20.

While discussing their adoption, Furness revealed in 2004 that they adopted due to her history of miscarriages.

The Deadpool & Wolverine actor went on to explain why he doesn’t view his children as being adopted, telling the Herald Sun in 2011, “They’re our children”.

Jamie Lee Curtis

The Freakier Friday actress and husband Christopher Guest adopted two adopted adult children, daughter Annie and son Tom after struggling with infertility in 1986 and 1996.

Madonna

Aside from her biological children, Lourdes and Rocco, the pop icon has adopted six children from Malawi: David Banda, Mercy James, and twins Stella and Estere Mwale, among others.

Speaking to Vogue in 2019, the 67-year-old singer revealed that her son David Banda has the most in common with her.

Sandra Bullock

The Miss Congeniality actress has so far two adopted children, Louis, 11 and Laila, 9 in 2010 and 2012.

While talking about the concern of not labelling her kids as “adopted” in an interview with People magazine said, “Let’s all just refer to these kids as ‘our kids’. Don’t say ‘my adopted child.’ Let’s just say, ‘our children’”.

The Blind Side star also spoke candidly about how her children have helped her become stronger, exressing, “If I don’t pull it together, I’m gonna die.”

Bullock went on to say, “It was my children who showed me that unless I pull it together right now, I’m not gonna be around to have the moments that I want to have.”