What the adopted children of Madonna, Angelina Jolie and other celebrities look like and do. Photo

Adoption is an exciting time for both children and adoptive parents. The former learn to trust and adapt to the new environment step by step. The latter puts a lot of effort into building a warm relationship with the child and providing him or her with everything he or she needs. It is not an easy path... However, love, care, support, and respect can change the lives of both parties for the better.

Some celebrities were not afraid of this responsibility and became happy parents of foster children. Read more about their adoption experience and how their children have changed in the OBOZ.UA article.

1. Madonna (adopted four children)

The American singer Madonna is the biological mother of two children: in 1996 she gave birth to her daughter Lourdes from actor Carlos Leon, and in 2000, together with director Guy Ritchie, she gave birth to her son Rocco. Later, the star thought about adoption. "Sometimes I closed my eyes and wondered why my kitchen wasn't filled with dancing children. So many children need a home. I thought, what am I waiting for... And I just did it," she told People.

Madonna adopted four children from an orphanage in Malawi, Africa. In 2006, her son became the same age as David Banda, in 2009, three-year-old Mercy James joined the family, and in 2017, four-year-old twin sisters Stella and Esther Ciccone. It is known that David is now a successful artist, model, and musician. Mercy, whom her mother affectionately calls the "African Queen," turned out to be a talented pianist, and Stella and Esther are professionally engaged in dancing alongside their schooling.

2. Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise (adopted two children)

Australian actress Nicole Kidman and American actor Tom Cruise were married from 1990 to 2001. They dreamed of becoming parents, but all pregnancies ended in miscarriages... In 1992, the couple welcomed 6-month-old Bella into their family, and in 1995 they adopted three-month-old Connor.

"Motherhood is a journey. There will be incredible highs and lows, whether you are an adoptive or biological mother. Achild needs love," the movie star told Red. After the divorce, both partners continued to take an active part in the upbringing of their heirs.

Now 31-year-old Bella is engaged in graphic design and painting, and 29-year-old Connor is acting in movies, working as a DJ, and has a barbecue business called Connor's Meatshack.

3. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt (adopted three children)

American actress, model, and director Angelina Jolie and American actor and film producer Brad Pitt are among the most famous foster parents. The former spouses (married from 2014 to 2019) are raising three children of their own – Shiloh, Vivian, and Knox – and three foster children – Zachary, Maddox, and Pax.

"All adopted children should never lose touch with where they came from. They have roots that you don't have. Respect them. Learn from them. It is the most amazing journey to share. They are not entering your world, you are entering each other's worlds," the mother of many told Vogue India. She added: "It is important to talk openly with them. So, 'adoption' and 'orphanhood' are not negative words in our house."

Maddox, originally from Cambodia, was adopted in 2002. He is now 22. The young man is studying at a university in South Korea at the Faculty of Bioengineering. In addition, he has begun to build an acting career and is an executive producer. In 2005, Jolie and Pitt adopted Zachary from an orphanage in Ethiopia. Now the 19-year-old girl is studying at Spelman College for Women of African Descent and acting in films. In 2007, the celebrity couple decided to take in a boy from Vietnam, Pax Tien. At the age of 20, he is engaged in photography and art under the pseudonym Embtto.

4. Sharon Stone (adopted three children)

American actress Sharon Stone has always dreamed of having a big family. But after experiencing pregnancy loss 9 times, she decided to adopt three boys - newborn Roan, 4-year-old Laird, and 3-year-old Quinn (in 2000, 2005 and 2006, respectively).

In 2017, her foster children presented her with the "Mother of the Year" award at the Associates for Breast and Prostate Cancer Studies. Sharon was touched by this and said in her acceptance speech: "I am grateful that my children chose me. I am a lucky mom! I am a single mom with three adopted sons. Raising them has been a great privilege in my life. When you adopt, you realize that any child can be your child, and any person can be your relative. After that, you will never see the world the same way again. I am connected to everyone on this planet. And that is a miracle in itself."

It is known that 24-year-old Roan is now professionally engaged in acting and is also fond of making glass figurines (glassblowing). Laird, 19, graduated from high school in May 2024 (what he plans to do next is unknown), and Quinn, 18, is still in school.

5. Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness (adopted two children)

After struggling with miscarriages and unsuccessful IVF (in vitro fertilization), Australian film actress Deborra-Lee Furness and her chosen one, Australian actor Hugh Jackman, decided to become parents of two adopted children - son Oscar (in 2000) and daughter Ava (in 2002). In 2011, the star dad told The Herold Sun: "I don't consider them adopted. They are our children. We feel that everything happened as it should have. Biologically we were not meant to have children... Deb and I believe in what you might call fate."

In 2020, Deborah shared in an exclusive interview with People that she and Jackman do everything they can to make sure their children know about their cultural background. "For example, my daughter is of Mexican descent, so we've been to Mexico. I'm very interested in epigenetics (the science that studies hereditary changes in phenotype or gene expression - Ed.) This is especially important when you have adopted children," she said.

Ava is now 18 and a professional dancer. Her older brother, 24-year-old Oscar, has a degree in cinema, is fond of creating stop-motion videos, and is already thinking about following in his famous father's footsteps.

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