Celebrities who’ve adopted children often use their platforms to shine a light on adoption, foster care, and the importance of giving children loving homes. From high-profile international adoptions to private domestic ones, these stories show that love not genetics makes a family.

The stories of celebrities who’ve adopted children remind us that family comes in many forms, and adoption can be a powerful way to change a life—for both parent and child. In this article, we’ll explore some of the most inspiring adoption journeys among Hollywood’s most famous names.

1. Angelina Jolie’s Adoption Journey

Angelina Jolie is perhaps one of the most prominent celebrity advocates for international adoption. She has adopted three children:

  • Maddox Chivan Jolie-Pitt: Adopted in 2002 from Cambodia when he was just 7 months old.
  • Zahara Marley Jolie-Pitt: Adopted from Ethiopia in 2005. Jolie traveled to Addis Ababa to bring her home.
  • Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt: Adopted from Vietnam in 2007 at age 3.

Jolie has often spoken about wanting to provide children from war-torn or impoverished regions with a better life. Her ex-husband, Brad Pitt, later legally adopted all three children.

2. Brad Pitt: A Supportive Father of Adopted Children

While Brad Pitt initially had biological children with Jolie, he later adopted her three children as well:

  • Pitt became the legal adoptive father of Maddox, Zahara, and Pax.
  • He and Jolie also share three biological children: Shiloh and twins Knox and Vivienne.

Together, they created a multicultural, blended family, and both have discussed raising their children with awareness of their cultural heritage.

3. Madonna’s Life-Changing Adoptions from Malawi

Pop icon Madonna has adopted four children from Malawi:

  • David Banda: Adopted in 2006 at 13 months old.
  • Mercy James: Adopted in 2009.
  • Estere and Stella Mwale: Adopted in 2017; the twin girls were 4 years old at the time.

Madonna founded Raising Malawi, a nonprofit organization that supports orphans and vulnerable children in the country. Despite facing legal and public scrutiny during the adoptions, she has remained a strong advocate for Malawian children.

4. Sandra Bullock on Building a Family Through Adoption

Oscar-winning actress Sandra Bullock has adopted two children:

  • Louis Bardo Bullock: Adopted in 2010 from New Orleans.
  • Laila Bullock: Adopted from foster care in Louisiana in 2015.

Bullock has spoken candidly about the joys and challenges of adopting from foster care and often stresses the importance of privacy and emotional safety for adoptive children.

5. Charlize Theron: A Single Mom Who Adopted Children

Charlize Theron adopted two children as a single mother:

  • Jackson: Adopted in 2012 from South Africa.
  • August: Adopted in 2015 from the U.S.

Theron has shared that she always wanted to adopt and felt a strong calling to become a mother through adoption. She has also supported LGBTQ+ rights, revealing that her eldest child, Jackson, identifies as a girl.

6. Hugh Jackman & Deborra-Lee Furness

Hugh Jackman and his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, adopted two mixed-race children after struggling with infertility:

  • Oscar Maximilian Jackman: Adopted in 2000.
  • Ava Eliot Jackman: Adopted in 2005.

Furness is also a strong adoption advocate and co-founder of Adopt Change, an Australian organization aiming to improve adoption procedures and support adoptive families.

7. Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman has adopted and biological children from two marriages:

  • Isabella Jane Cruise and Connor Cruise: Adopted with ex-husband Tom Cruise during their marriage in the 1990s.
  • Faith Margaret Kidman Urban: Born via surrogate in 2010 with current husband, country star Keith Urban.

Kidman has kept her relationship with Isabella and Connor relatively private, especially as they were raised in the Church of Scientology with Cruise.

8. Tom Cruise

While better known for his acting and Scientology ties, Tom Cruise also adopted two children:

  • Isabella and Connor: Adopted with Nicole Kidman in the early 1990s.

The children remained primarily with Cruise following the couple’s split and have maintained a relatively low public profile.

Many people look to celebrities who’ve adopted children as examples of compassion, especially when these stars advocate for child welfare reform.

9. Sharon Stone

Sharon Stone has adopted three sons:

  • Roan Joseph Bronstein: Adopted in 2000 with then-husband Phil Bronstein.
  • Laird Vonne Stone: Adopted in 2005.
  • Quinn Kelly Stone: Adopted in 2006.

Stone has been open about her infertility and her joyful decision to become a mother through adoption. She describes parenting her sons as the “greatest blessing.”

10. Mariska Hargitay

The Law & Order: SVU star and her husband Peter Hermann adopted two children:

  • Amaya Josephine Hermann: Adopted in 2011.
  • Andrew Nicolas Hargitay Hermann: Adopted just a few months after Amaya.

Hargitay has said that she always wanted a big family and described the adoption process as “soul-expanding.” She and Hermann also have a biological son, August.

11. Kristin Davis: A Celebrity Mom Who Adopted as a Single Parent

Known for her role in Sex and the City, Kristin Davis has adopted two children as a single mother:

  • Gemma Rose Davis: Adopted in 2011.
  • Wilson Davis: Adopted in 2018.

Davis has been an advocate for open conversations about transracial adoption, noting the need to educate herself and her children about racial identity and heritage.