Did You Know These Celebrities Were Adopted?

As recently as 50 years ago, adoption was not spoken about much outside of the family circle — but this doesn’t mean it wasn’t commonplace in society. In fact, adoption has been around since the early days of man. Moses, the Hebrew prophet, was rescued from the river and adopted by an Egyptian princess. Augustus Caesar found out he had been adopted by his uncle, Julius Caesar, during the reading of his will. It was then he learned he was Julius Caesar’s heir, and he went on to become the first emperor of Rome.
Those two people alone went on to do noteworthy things. Duante Culpepper, former NFL quarterback and adopted child, said “I am a living testament that you can be adopted and successful.” He is one of many famous adoptees. Here are more famous people who were raised by adoptive families:
Kristin Chenoweth – actress

“…as an adopted child, I encourage other adoptees to remember what blessed lives we have. We weren’t abandoned; we were chosen.” – Kristin Chenoweth

 
 
Marilyn Monroe – actress
Melissa Gilbert – actress
Maya Angelou – writer
Charles Dickens – writer
Truman Capote – writer
Louisa May Alcott – writer
Nat King Cole – singer
Faith Hill – singer

“I have a lot of respect for my birth mother…I know she must have had a lot of love for me to want to give me what she felt was a better chance.” – Faith Hill

Tim McGraw – singer
Ella Fitzgerald – singer
John Lennon – singer
George Washington Carver – inventor
Steve Jobs – cofounder of Apple Computer
President Herbert Hoover
President Gerald Ford
Nelson Mandela – former President of South Africa
First Lady Nancy Reagan
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt
Eric Clapton – singer

 
President Bill Clinton

“…perhaps there is no greater miracle than finding a loving home for a child who needs one.”- Bill Clinton

 
 
Babe Ruth – professional baseball player
Sarah McLachlan – singer
Ted Danson – actor (and adoptive father himself)
Saint Theresa of Calcutta
Simone Biles – Olympic gold medalist
Dave Thomas – founder of Wendy’s (and adoptive father himself)

“Everyone’s got to be for a child to have a home and love. I mean, I don’t know anyone who would be against that.”- Dave Thomas

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These are just a few of the many famous and successful people who have been touched by adoption; they are proof that adoptees, birth parents and adoptive parents can achieve incredible things.