Sia | Names Unknown
The Australian singer-songwriter Sia recently revealed that she has two boys, whom she adopted in 2019. She said these boys are both 18 years old and were about to leave the foster care system. The singer stated that they were aging out of foster care, so she decided to adopt them. She also said that she wants to keep her children’s privacy since she is still learning how to be a mom.
In case you don’t know, Sia received songwriting credits in other artists’ songs, such as Diamonds by Rihanna, Titanium by David Guetta, and Wild Ones by Flo Rida. She made her breakthrough in 2014 as a solo artist and generated a hit single titled Chandelier. She later directed and wrote a feature film called Music, which was released in 2021, along with her ninth studio album of the same title.
Thomas Rhett & Lauren Akins | Willa
Thomas Rhett and his spouse Lauren Akins adopted a girl named Willa from Uganda in 2017. The couple said that they began the adoption process after having problems in getting pregnant for a “good chunk of time.” They claimed they had been interested in adoption because of Akin’s work with the non-profit organization 147 Million Orphans. Months after facilitating the adoption process, the duo found out the good news that they are finally pregnant! They took Willa home months before welcoming her new sister Ada. They recently gave birth to their third daughter, Lennon Love.
Thomas Rhett is the son of country music singer Rhett Akins. Like his father, the 31-year-old also pursued a career in the same music genre, having released four studio albums. He showed he had a lot of gas left in his tank by releasing chart-topping songs, such as It Goes Like This and Remember You Young.
Ty & Holly Burrell | Frances & Greta
Ty Burrell and his loving wife Holly Burrell adopted a girl named Frances in 2010. Two years later, they added a daughter named Greta to their happy family. The couple said that adoption was not planned since they initially intended to never have children. They were on a plane when the idea of adopting kids came up, and the two broke down in tears, knowing it was the right thing to do and that it would make them really happy.
Burrell is best known for his appearance in Modern Family as Phil Dunphy. For the role, he won two Primetime Emmy Awards in 2011 and 2014. He also received five Screen Actors Guild Awards, one for his solo performance and four awards shared with the entire cast. He recently made investments in several businesses, including a restaurant and two bars.
Viola Davis & Julius Tennon | Genesis
Viola Davis and her hubby Julius Tennon adopted a girl named Genesis in 2011. She revealed this news during an acceptance speech at a gala held by Elle’s Women in Hollywood. The 55-year-old actress shared that what pushed her to adopt a child is that many children need parents, and many women also want to mother, including herself. She also told Genesis that even though she was not be born from her belly, she was born from her heart. This statement is probably the sweetest thing we’ve heard from the actress!
Davis started her acting career right after earning her degree from the Juilliard School in 1993. Despite entering Hollywood in the 1990s, her breakthrough came in the 2010s when she starred in How to Get Away with Murder and The Help. She is set to portray Michelle Obama in an upcoming series titled The First Lady.
Kimora Lee Simmons | Gary
Kimora Lee Simmons Leissner decided to expand her family by adopting a 10-year-old boy Gary in January 2020, who joined elder sisters Ming Lee and Aoki Lee and brothers Wolfe and Kenzo. The model and Baby Phat entrepreneur had tied the knot with investment banker Tim Leissner in 2013.
As seen on social media, Mrs. Leissner is proud to have a growing family. The former model’s daughters, Ming and Aoki, are recently featured in the on-brand campaign photos of their clothing company. Leissner proudly shared that Baby Phat is a woman-owned company run by her and her daughters. She also stated that now is the time to pass the torch to her daughters since she has been in the fashion scene for 30 years already. Meanwhile, the two girls are now in college. Ming attends NYU, while Aoki studies at Harvard University.
Jen Lilley | Kayden & Jeffrey
On October 30, 2020, Jen Lilley and her husband Jason Wayne adopted a 2-year-old boy named Jeffrey, who spent 846 days in foster care. Jeffrey is the half-brother of their 4-year-old son Kayden, whom they also adopted on June 10, 2019, after he spent more than 900 days in foster care. Lilley and Wayne are also parents to their biological daughter Julie Evangeline.
The couple celebrated Jeffrey’s adoption in November 2020 and marked the occasion by publishing sweet photos. In another social media post, the Hallmark Channel star wrote that the little boy is “the world’s best present under my tree.” Lilley described Jeffrey as the “kindest” and “most nurturing” little boy who fills their home with “peace, love, and joy.” The proud and happy parents stated that they are committed to loving all of their kids to a huge degree.
Thomas Rhett | Willa Gray
Thomas Rhett is known for his degree of fame, soulful lyrics, and, perhaps most importantly, his cute romance with Lauren Akins Rhett. The story goes like this: the couple struggled to conceive initially, which prompted them to seek adoption in 2016. She met an orphan named Blessing at a children’s home in Uganda, and that child changed their lives forever.
The adoption took a year to complete, including several trips to Uganda to navigate the country’s complex legal system. Ugandan adoption regulations required the soon-to-be parents to foster Willa in the country for a year. Lauren and Thomas traveled abroad regularly to advance the adoption process. Willa Gray, the newest addition to the Rhett family, arrived in Nashville on May 11, 2017. Lauren became pregnant suddenly in the middle of their regular back-and-forth trips to Uganda, as luck (and a little faith) would have it.
Jillian Michaels | Lukensia
Jillian Michaels was known for giving tough love to contestants on The Biggest Loser. These days, she’s busy tickling and hugging her 2-year-old daughter Lukensia, whom she adopted from Haiti, and her son Phoenix, whom she and partner Heidi Rhoades welcomed into the world on May 3, 2020.
Michaels and Rhoades, like many adoptive parents, struggled with discouragement during the adoption process. They had been to orphanages in Haiti and met a little girl who had captured their hearts. They had sent in all of their documents, but the wait was beginning to eat away at their optimism. In a 360 degree turn of fate, their son Phoenix was born just 72 hours before Michaels had to fly to Haiti to carry their daughter Lukensia home. They had not one but two beautiful gifts in their lives in a matter of days.
Rosie O’Donnell | Parker, Chelsea, Blake & Dakota
Rosie O’Donnell is best known for her work as a comedian and TV host, but she is most proud of being a mother. The star has juggled her Hollywood career investments with raising her blended family over the years. O’Donnell became a mother for the first time in 1995 when she and then-girlfriend Kelli Carpenter adopted their eldest son, Parker. They also welcomed Chelsea in 1997 and Blake in 1999.
Rosie and Kelli got married in 2004, but that same year, however, the married couple called it quits. The View alum was able to move on from her heartbreak. By 2013, she got married to Michelle Rounds and adopted her youngest child, Dakota. O’Donnell focuses on being as present as possible in her children’s lives now that she is a single mother. She added “Grandma” to her resume when her eldest daughter Chelsea gave birth to her first grandchild in December 2018.
Cate Blanchett | Edith Vivian Patricia
Cate Blanchett has mastered a boss career while raising her large family with her husband, Andrew Upton. She is best known for portraying Elizabeth I of England in the film Elizabeth and Katharine Hepburn in the movie The Aviator. With all her career investments, it’s challenging to imagine Cate having time to raise children — but she does.
It was a no-brainer for Blanchett to add some pink to her brood of boys. The Cinderella star and Andrew, who already have three children: Ignatius Martin, Roman Robert, and Dashiell John, were thrilled to add a fourth to the mix. Cate said she and her husband had been thinking about adopting for 14 years before taking Edith Vivian home. With her arrival, the Blanchett-Upton family has grown to six members, but the more, the merrier for the clan. Though the 5-year-old has yet to walk the red carpet with her mother, we’re confident she will soon.