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November is National Adoption Month, a time to celebrate the family we choose.
There’s a ton of stigma surrounding adoption, especially for the kids involved, so normalizing the conversation and spreading love is of the utmost importance. Adopted kids sometimes question their role in their families and it’s not at all uncommon for them to feel a sense of loss or abandonment. Prior to his death, the late Steve Jobs once opened up about a time he was asked whether or not his birth parents wanted him…
“Lightning bolts went off in my head. I remember running into the house, I think I was like crying, asking my parents. And they sat me down and they said, ‘No, you don’t understand. We specifically picked you out.’ From then on, I realized that I was not just abandoned. I was chosen. I was special,” Jobs recalled.
Every kid is special, whether they were born into a family or chosen to become a part of it. For National Adoption Day, which many began celebrating over the weekend, we’re highlighting some celebrities who were adopted. From Steve Jobs, as mentioned, to Colin Kaepernick, there are no shortage of impactful and beautiful icons who were blessed in this way. See 6 more below.
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1. Colin Kaepernick
Source:Getty
Colin is one of the most important people of our generation, a force who used his celebrity and sacrificed his career to reignite conversation surrounding systemic racism and police brutality. He was adopted by Rick and Teresa Kaepernick after they lost two sons to heart defects.
2. Simone Biles
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Simone — the most decorated American gymnast ever, with a total of 30 Olympic and World Championship medals — was adopted by her maternal grandfather and his wife, after they learned she and her siblings were in foster care.
3. Snooki
Source:WENN
Reality star and host Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi was adopted at just 6 months old to Italian parents. She now has three children of her own.
4. Nelson Mandela
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The late South African president and anti-apartheid revolutionary was adopted by a Thembu regent as a child, following the death of his father.
5. Nicole Richie
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Actress Nicole Richie was adopted by famed musician Lionel Richie. Her biological parents were friends of the Richie family, who took her in when she was 3 years old before formally adopting her at 9.
6. Keegan Michael-Key
Source:WENN
The ‘Key & Peele’ comedian’s adoptive parents were both social workers from Detroit.
