‘We kind of just stared at each other. It wasn’t normal...' The adopted stars who met their biological parents

Many stars have always been very open with their fans when it comes to their family background. Lots of celebrities have shared their adoption stories with the world and how not being raised by their biological parents affected them. These famous faces were adopted and even met their natural parents...

At two days old, country music star Faith Hill was adopted by Edna and Ted Perry in a small Mississippi town. However, later on, specifically in her twenties, she became interested in knowing who their biological parents were. While she was not able to meet her father, as he had already passed away, she got the chance to meet her birth mother. In an interview with Barbara Walters, she recalled the emotional moment by saying: “I don’t even remember what I said. I don’t remember what she said. We kind of just stared at each other. It was very strange, it wasn’t normal.”

‘Goodfellas’ star Ray Liotta, who unfortunately passed away in 2022 at the age of 67, was placed for adoption when he was still a baby. Later on, and after facing emotional ups and downs, he was able to meet his biological relatives. In an interview with People, he said: “When I finally met my birth mom and my birth siblings ... in my 40s, by then, I wasn't as angry about it happening. I don't know. It's just another journey. I found my birth mother and found out I have, not an identical twin, but a half-brother, five half-sisters and a full sister that I didn't know about until 15 years ago."

When the ‘Key and Peele’ creator was little, he was adopted by Michael Key and Patricia Walsh, in Detroit. In 2015 he told The New Yorker that he had reunited with his biological mother, named Carrie Herr, moment when he found out a big surprise. He said: "I literally went to bed one day with one sibling and woke up the next morning with seven.”

At the age of 35, Run-DMC member Darryl McDaniels found out he was adopted, so he did not hesitate on doing some research on his family background. He eventually met his birth mom Bernencia Lovelace in Staten Island. In an interview with The New York Post, McDaniels revealed that he was also interested in knowing his biological father. He said: “That’s the next step. The plot thickens.”

Sonny John Moore, better known for his stage name Skrillex, was adopted by friends of his biological parents, shortly after his birth. The DJ and producer found out he was adopted at the age of 16, at the same time he discovered that his biological mother was no stranger to him, as the woman never stopped visiting his adoptive parents’ house, as they all remained friends.

Actor Paul Gilbert and his wife Barbara adopted the ‘Little House on the Prairie’ actress when she was born. When Melissa was in her 20s, she became interested in knowing her birth parents and eventually found her father David Darlington. In her memoir ‘Prairie Tale’, the actress recalls how weird their first phone call was, as David kept talking about her Hollywood status and her relationship with other stars like Michael Landon. They then agreed on meeting in person. She described the encounter in her book by writing: “It was an incredible moment, though it was also one of the strangest I had ever experienced.”

Grammy award winner Sarah McLachlan was placed up for adoption shortly after her birth, in Halifax, Canada. At the age of 19 she met her biological mother who, apparently, had also been looking for her in Halifax. In an interview with Rolling Stone, McLachlan recalled the emotional encounter. She said: “It was strange and continues to be strange. I never really was interested in knowing her. I love my mother dearly, and she’s really insecure about the whole thing. I don’t want to hurt my birth mother, either, but my mother is my mother. To me, it’s fascinating to know my birth mother, gene-wise. That’s really it. My mom and dad gave me a wonderful life.”

The Apple guru was adopted by Clara and Paul Reinhold Jobs shortly after his birth. In 2011, Walter Isaacson interviewed Steve’s sister Mona Simpson on ’60 Minutes’. During the chat she revealed that the tech genius met his biological father, although he was not aware of it. Jobs spent time tracking down his biological mother, and eventually found out he had a sister - who was Mona - with whom he met. Mona then tried to contact their father, Abdulfattah John Jandali, who used to work in a coffee shop. While Steve was not interested in pursuing a relationship with him, Jandali revealed they had actually met. According to Simpson, Steve’s father said: "I wish you could have seen me when I was running a bigger restaurant… Everybody used to come there… Even Steve Jobs used to eat there. Yeah, he was a great tipper.”

In 2005, Angelina Jolie adopted daughter Zahara in Ethiopia, when she was only six months old. Over the past few years Zahara’s biological mother, Mentewab Dawit Lebiso, has been trying to connect with her. In a recent interview with Reuters, the woman revealed she put Zahara for adoption after getting pregnant following a r***. She said that being a victim of that kind of assault is not accepted in her Ethiopian community of Awasa. Only time will tell if Zahara and her will reunite...

'Jersey Shore’ star Snooki was adopted when she was six months old, by Helen and Andrew Polizzi, who flew all the way to her hometown in Chile to pick her up. In a video posted on her YouTube channel, the reality TV star revealed that she would like to meet her biological parents, although she would be needing some help in terms of language. She said: “If I did meet them, we would have to use an interpreter because I can’t speak Spanish at all, but I’m definitely open for that opportunity.”