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6 celebrity LGBTQ couples who have adopted children

Frank Olito   

6 celebrity LGBTQ couples who have adopted children
Jillian Michaels and her adopted daughter.David Livingston / Getty
  • Some famous LGBTQ couples have turned to adoption to expand their families.
  • "Queer Eye's" Karamo Brown adopted his biological son's half brother, and director Lee Daniel adopted his niece and nephew.
  • Fitness celebrity Jillian Michaels adopted her daughter from Haiti the same week her partner gave birth to their son.

Adoption is popular among Hollywood's biggest stars, and the same can be said for some famous LGBTQ couples.

Celebrities from "Queer Eye's" Karamo Brown to "American Horror Story's" Denis O'Hare have become parents through adoption.

This National Adoption Month, keep reading to find out what other LGBTQ celebrities have adopted.

"Queer Eye's" Karamo Brown adopted his biological son's half brother in 2011 and co-parents with his partner, Ian Jordan.

"Queer Eye
Karamo Brown with his biological son, Jason.      Rodin Eckenroth / Getty

Brown learned he had a biological son after high school, but he immediately took on the role of loving father to Jason "Rachel" Brown (pictured right).

"I came out at 16 years old as a proud, gay man. My last girlfriend in high school — when I was 15 — became pregnant with my child but did not tell me," Brown told Parents in 2018. "She moved away, and I never had contact with her again; remember this is before social media."

After gaining full custody, Brown also decided to adopt Jason's half brother, Chris. The process wasn't always easy, however.

"The adjustment process was challenging at times," Brown also told Parents in 2018. "New house means new rules and expectations not just for the children but for me — the parent — as well. Navigating each other's expectations, the move-in, diet, friends, school, and homework can be overwhelming."

Fitness celebrity Jillian Michaels adopted her daughter from Haiti in 2012 — the same week her partner, Heidi Rhoades, gave birth to a boy.

Fitness celebrity Jillian Michaels adopted her daughter from Haiti in 2012 — the same week her partner, Heidi Rhoades, gave birth to a boy.
Jillian Michaels and her children.      Michael Tran / Getty

Michaels became a mother of two in just one week. The former "The Biggest Loser" trainer announced in 2012 that she adopted a 2-year-old girl named Lukensia from Haiti just as her then-partner, Heidi Rhoades, gave birth to their son, Phoenix, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"We're swimming in babies over here," Michaels told People magazine at the time. "I don't even answer email. I don't have time to care about anything else. I want to be really present and enjoy all the nuances of their growth and development. I don't want to rush any of it."

However, in 2020, it was announced Michaels and Rhoades had split.

"American Horror Story's" Denis O'Hare adopted his son in 2012 with husband Hugo Redwood.

"American Horror Story
Denis O'Hare and his family.      Tibrina Hobson / Getty

O'Hare and Redwood decided to foster a 2-week-old infant named Declan, but the couple instantly knew they wanted to adopt the baby boy. When Declan was 17 months old, the couple began the process 0f adoption.

"I became a parent the minute Declan was put into my arms," O'Hare said in a campaign for Tylenol in 2015. "He's my son."

Author and activist Dan Savage raised his adopted son with partner Terry Miller.

Author and activist Dan Savage raised his adopted son with partner Terry Miller.
Terry Miller and Dan Savage.      Jeff Vespa / Getty

In 1998, Savage and his partner welcomed a baby boy, DJ, into their lives during an open adoption process. DJ's mother was a homeless girl who visited DJ throughout his childhood.

"Parenting is about being competent and responsible," Savage said in an interview in New York Magazine in 2000. "It's not about gender, necessarily. Every day, Terry and I walk into D.J.'s room just after he wakes up, and he jumps up and down; he's very happy to see us."

Director Lee Daniels adopted his niece and nephew just as his career took off.

Director Lee Daniels adopted his niece and nephew just as his career took off.
Lee Daniels and his children.      Ray Tamarra / Getty

Daniels is no stranger to being a father figure. According to W magazine, the "Precious" director, helped raise his siblings while growing up in Philadelphia, so it made sense for him to step up when his brother's twins needed a home. Daniels and his then-partner Billy Hopkins adopted Clara and Liam when they were just 3 days old.

"I didn't want to have kids," Daniels told W magazine in 2010. "I was just beginning to make money and have fun with my life, and I didn't want to grow up, but then the universe said 'Time!' I was forced to get my s--- together because I wanted them to look up to me."

At an event honoring foster families in 2017, Daniels said, "I took them in, and I raised them and I'm really proud that I did."

YouTube personalities Matt Dallas and Blue Hamilton adopted their son in 2015.

YouTube personalities Matt Dallas and Blue Hamilton adopted their son in 2015.
Matt Dallas and Blue Hamilton.      Earl Gibson III / Getty

Most know Dallas as ABC Family's "Kyle XY," but since then he and his husband have made a name for themselves on YouTube. On the site, they announced that they adopted a 2-year-old boy named Crow in 2015.

"There was supposed to be a six-month trial period," Dallas said in the video. "There was about a six-minute trial period before we knew."

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