Celebrities who were adopted

Frances McDormand
Debbie Harry
Jack Nicholson
Eric Clapton
Kristin Davis
Bill Clinton
Jamie Foxx
Nelson Mandela
Steve Jobs
John Lennon
Colin Kaepernick
Marilyn Monroe
Never formally adopted
Lana Condor
Ray Liotta
Sarah McLachlan
Truman Capote
Jenna Ushkowitz
Ice-T
Nicole Richie
Skrillex
Robert Rey
Frances McDormand

Frances McDormand, the winner of three Oscars, including the one for 'Nomadland' in 2021, was born in Chicago. At the age of one, she was adopted by a Canadian Protestant pastor and nurse.

Debbie Harry

The Blondie singer learned at age four that her mother and father were not her biological parents. She'd been adopted by Catherine and Richard Harry when she was only a few months old, the South China Morning Post reports.

Jack Nicholson

For a long time, Jack Nicholson believed that his grandmother was his mother. She raised him as her son, and only later did he learn that his half-sister, June, was his real mother.

Eric Clapton

Just like Jack Nicholson, the British guitarist Eric Clapton also thought his grandparents were his parents. His real mother, however, was the person he believed to be his sister, Patricia.

Kristin Davis

When she was three years old, Kristin Davis was adopted by her stepfather. As in the series where she played Charlotte ('Sex and the City'), the actress later fulfilled her dream of motherhood through the adoption of two children.

Bill Clinton

Former US President Bill Clinton's biological father died in a car accident when he was three months old. The boy was then adopted by the mother's second husband, businessman Roger Clinton. At age 15, he took on his stepfather's surname.

Jamie Foxx

Shortly after his birth, Hollywood star Jamie Foxx's parents separated and his mother was unable to raise him on her own. For that reason, his maternal grandmother adopted and raised the future actor.

Nelson Mandela

One of the world's greatest political leaders, Nobel Peace Prize winner Nelson Mandela, lost his father at the age of nine and was adopted by Jongintaba Dalindyebo, chief regent of the tribe of the region where he lived at the time, the Thembu.

Steve Jobs

In the 1950s, abortion was illegal and single mothers had a difficult position in society. When tech genius Steve Jobs was born, his biological parents were not married and he was given away for adoption.

John Lennon

In the early years of his life, the Beatles star was placed in the care of a maternal aunt. His father had abandoned the family and his mother suffered financially to the point that she asked her sister to step in.

Colin Kaepernick

Former NFL quarterback and human rights activist Colin Kaepernick was adopted when he was five weeks old. His parents, Rick and Teresa Kaepernick, had lost two biological sons due to congenital heart defects and they were happy to take care of Colin.

Marilyn Monroe

The life of American film diva Marilyn Monroe was far from easy and far from glamorous. Norma Jean (her real name) was abandoned by her birth mother, who had mental health problems. Until the age of 16, Norma lived most of her childhood in orphanages and foster homes.

Never formally adopted

Norma Jean would be part of twelve foster families, but she was never formally adopted. At the age of 16, she decided to marry James Dougherty, a boy from the neighborhood, so she would not have to return to the institutions ever again.

Lana Condor

The actress of 'To All the Boys I've Loved Before' was actually born Tan Dong Lan instead of Lana Condor. She got her new name when she was four months old. Lana was adopted from Vietnam to the United States by the couple Mary Carol and Bob Condor.

Ray Liotta

The late actor and his sister were both adopted. Ray Liotta told Larry King in an interview in 2014 that he tracked his birth mother at some point and that he learned "she did it for valid reasons."

Sarah McLachlan

In an open-hearted interview with Parents magazine, the Canadian singer said that she was adopted into the McLachlan family along with two other children. She didn't know about it until she was nine. At a later age, Sarah McLachlan met her biological mother.

Truman Capote

The famous writer of 'In Cold Blood' and 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' was adopted by his stepfather José Capote, a Cuban bookkeeper who renamed the boy Truman García Capote.

Jenna Ushkowitz

Born in South Korea, 'Glee' actress Jenna Ushkowitz was brought from her homeland to the United States at the age of three months. She was adopted by a family in New York.

Ice-T

As 'Insider' reports, the rapper and actor from 'Law & Order,' was born in New Jersey as Tracy Marrow. Both his parents suffered early deaths due to heart problems, and the young Tracy was sent to Los Angeles to live with his aunt.

Nicole Richie

Without the financial resources to support their daughter, the biological parents of Nicole allowed the girl to be adopted by singer Lionel Richie when she was three years old. Now, the stylist is a reality TV star and a socialite.

Skrillex

The DJ learned as a teenager that his mother and father weren't his biological parents. According to Vice magazine, he found out that a 'family friend' was actually his birth mother.

Robert Rey

Hailed by the nickname Dr. Hollywood, the flamboyant plastic surgeon and friend of celebrities had a difficult and violent childhood in São Paulo, Brazil, before he was adopted by an American family of Mormon missionaries.