The Six Most Famous Adoptions

The Six Most Famous Adoptions. Ordinary people adopt children, both domestically and around the world, every day. But, when celebrities adopt, it draws serious attention to the practice: sometimes good attention, sometimes not so good. Here are six of the most famous celebrity adoptions from recent years.

1. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt – Angelina Jolie adopted her first child Maddox, from Cambodia while she was still married to Billy Bob Thornton. However, after they split up she was a single mother to the child until she became involved with Brad Pitt, who also adopted Maddox. Together, they have since adopted a daughter, Zahara, from Ethiopia and a son Pax, from Vietnam. They also have three biological children. The Jolie-Pitt children have received much media attention, in part because the couple constantly travels the world with them.
2. Madonna – Madonna has adopted two children from Malawi. David Banda was adopted in 2006 and Mercy James in 2009. Madonna’s adoptions sparked much controversy because it was believed that Malawi’s adoption rules were bent because of Madonna’s celebrity and because of the humanitarian work she has done in the country. Madonna is also mom to two biological children, Lourdes and Rocco.
3. Sandra Bullock – Sandra Bullock has been one of the most frequent names in the headlines this year. The headlines were in part because she won the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in the movie “The Blindside” and because of her scandal ridden split from husband Jesse James, who then went to rehab for sex addiction. But, Bullock made happy headlines when it was revealed that she had adopted newborn son Louis in January. Though Bullock and James began the adoption process together, Bullock will finalize her adoption as a single parent due to her divorce from James. Her son Louis is African American and was born in New Orleans.
4. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman – This famous Hollywood couple adopted daughter Isabella in 1993 and son Connor in 1995. Since their split in 2001, they have shared custody. Kidman and Cruise were one of the first celebrity couples to adopt without having suffered from fertility issues.
5. Meg Ryan – Meg Ryan adopted daughter Daisy from China in 2006 as a single mom. She is also mom to her son Jack Henry, whom she had with ex-husband Dennis Quaid.
6. Katherine Heigl – The former star of Grey’s Anatomy followed in her mother’s footsteps by adopting daughter Naleigh from Korea with her husband Josh Kelley. Heigl’s sister Margaret was also adopted from Korea.

These are some of the higher profile celebrity adoptions from the last few years. But, there are many other celebrities who have used adoption to create or add to their families including Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, Diane Keaton, who became a single mother through adoption at age 50, Hugh Jackman, Julie Andrews, Barbara Walters, Mary Louise Parker and Arizona Senator John McCain.

Adoption is a choice for many families who are not celebrities. Though it makes headlines when celebrities adopt; adoption privately creates families all over the world every day.

Phyllis Zerkle writes about how to enroll in online ultrasound technician schools.

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