7 Celebrities Who Chose Adoption for Their Children — And Later ReconnectedCelebrity.
This article has been taken as reference from https://toofab.com/
Sometimes life throws challenges that we’re not quite ready for — and for some celebrities, that meant making the difficult decision to place a child for adoption before fame ever entered the picture. Whether due to young age, lack of support, or tough personal circumstances, stars like Kate Mulgrew, Patti Smith, and Roseanne Barr chose what they felt was the best path for their children at the time.
Despite the heartache, many of these parents were eventually able to reconnect with their children later in life, forging new bonds and healing past wounds. Here are seven famous faces who made that life-altering decision.
Rod Stewart
Before becoming a rock legend, Rod Stewart faced fatherhood as a teenager. With no money and no means to raise a child, he and his then-girlfriend made the choice to place their daughter, Sarah Streeter, for adoption. She grew up unaware of her famous father, but they eventually reunited. After her adoptive parents passed away, Rod made an effort to become a more present figure in her life.
Speaking on The Joy Behar Show in 2010, he reflected:
“I never felt like I was her dad, because I didn’t take her to school or change her nappies. But I’m trying. We’re working on it, and it’s going well.”
Roseanne Barr
At 17, Roseanne found herself pregnant and without much support from her family. She moved into a Salvation Army home for unwed mothers in Denver and ultimately placed her daughter, Brandi Brown, for adoption through a Jewish family services agency. Decades later, long before the tabloids could expose the story, Roseanne was able to reconnect with Brandi privately.
“I whispered to her when they took her, ‘You remember this. I’ll see you when you’re 18,’” Roseanne told People. “And I always knew we’d find each other again.”
David Foster
Long before becoming a music mogul, David Foster became a young father. He and his then-partner, whose identity remains private, decided to place their daughter for adoption. Fortunately, years later, he reconnected with her, and she now holds an important position at the David Foster Foundation, helping support families in need of organ transplants.
Patti Smith
Iconic artist Patti Smith was just 19 when she became pregnant while living in her parents’ laundry room and studying at a teachers college in New Jersey. Faced with social stigma and little support, she gave birth while living with a surrogate family and placed her daughter for adoption. Nearly 60 years later, the two have formed a strong relationship.
“She’s 57 now. I didn’t raise her, but I brought her into this world. Now she’s both family and a friend,” Patti shared with The Times.
Kate Mulgrew
When Ryan’s Hope star Kate Mulgrew was 21, she found herself pregnant and overwhelmed. With abortion not an option for her, she chose adoption. Her pregnancy was even written into her soap opera storyline. After a 20-year search, she finally reconnected with her daughter Danielle in 1998 — thanks to a nun who helped them exchange registry information.
“My daughter’s capacity for forgiveness is unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” she told AARP. “We cried a lot, but now we move forward, and love is all that matters.”
David Crosby
Music legend David Crosby placed his son, James Raymond, for adoption in his early 20s. James grew up, became a talented musician himself, and eventually learned who his birth father was. Out of respect, he waited to reach out, until David was hospitalized and needed a liver transplant — prompting James’ adoptive father to contact him.
The two eventually connected and even formed a band together called CPR (Crosby, Pevar & Raymond). James produced David’s 2021 album For Free, creating a beautiful partnership that spanned both music and family.
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell’s journey is one of resilience and reconnection. As a young musician, she became pregnant and, faced with the harsh stigma of unwed motherhood at the time, placed her daughter for adoption at eight months old. The pain never left her, and she channeled it into her music. In 1997, a fan-created website helped reunite Joni with her daughter, Kilauren Gibb.
“The day I saw her again, it filled the hole in my heart,” she told People. “It was like I could finally breathe again.”
Sometimes, love means letting go. These stars faced unimaginable decisions early in life but found a way back to the children they once had to say goodbye to. Through time, healing, and reconnection, they’ve rewritten their stories — proving that it’s never too late to rebuild what was once lost.