There are many ways to have a family, whether you have kids of your own or you end up adopting. But other than Nicole Richie, who was adopted by none other than the great singer Lionel Richie, what other popular stars have been adopted? These celebs have managed to keep their adoptions private and stayed hush for many years. Where you surprised to find out they were adopted as children?
Keegan-Michael Key
The uber-popular comedian was born to interracial parents and was adopted by another interracial couple. Being mixed race is something that he has capitalized on in carving out his career. He felt that it taught him how to constantly switch roles which is so applicable in sketch comedy.
Steve Jobs
Known for his drive and passion for success, the powerful entrepreneur and Apple CEO was raised by his strict Calvinist adoptive parents. It’s hard to say how much of this drive comes from his upbringing. His adoptive father, Paul Reinhold Jobs, grew up with an alcoholic father himself, so perhaps, his strict and unique upbringing ended up shaping Steve into the overachiever he became later in life.
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn’s mother Gladys didn’t know the identity of Marilyn’s father but decided to go ahead and give birth. Eventually, she placed her daughter into foster care where Marilyn moved from home to home for several years. Later in life, Gladys was diagnosed with schizophrenia and Marilyn became a ward of the state.
Nelson Mandela
When Nelson was only nine, his father succumbed to lung disease and passed away. After this, he was raised by one of his tribe’s chiefs. He fondly remembers his father and believes he inherited his “proud rebelliousness” and “stubborn sense of fairness” that helped shape him into the leader that he became.
Nicole Richie
You may have guessed the Nicole wasn’t a blood relative of Lionel or her mother Brenda Harvey-Richie. The couple stepped in and began taking care of Nicole when friends of theirs weren’t able to provide for her. She lived with them for six years before the adoption was made formal.
Eric Clapton
Eric’s mother was young when she gave birth to him. She was only 16 at the time and his father was a Canadian soldier who was stationed in the United Kingdom during World War II. After the soldier moved on, Eric was raised by his grandparents. Later in life, he ended up discovering that the woman he thought was his sister was actually his mother.
Bill Clinton
Bill’s father passed away just three months before he was born in a tragic road accident. His mother was left in a challenging situation and decided to pursue nursing shortly after she gave birth to Bill. So she left her young son in the care of his grandparents, Eldridge and Edith Cassidy until his mother came back a few years later.
John Lennon
John’s early life was pretty tumultuous to say the least. His father was a merchant seaman, who was away at sea when his mother was giving birth to him. Even once he returned, John did not see a lot of his father. Later in life, his parents separated and John was given to his Aunt Mimi, who ended up raising him as if he were her own. His mother visited often and her death in 1958 in a motor vehicle accident was particularly traumatic for this man who would grow up to form one of the most famous bands in history.
