Nicole Kidman Adopted Children

Nicole Kidman is an Australian actress, singer, and producer known for her work in several films and television shows such as Far and Away, Moulin Rouge!, Lion, Australia, and Big Little Lies. Kidman was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on June 20, 1967, earning her dual citizenship in both Australia and the United States. When Kidman was four years old, she returned to Australia with her parents where she spent the rest of her childhood. She discovered her love of performing when she began ballet lessons at the age of three, and continued her theatre education at St. Martin’s Youth Theatre in Melbourne, the Australian Theatre for Young People in Sydney, and the Philip Street Theatre where she majored in theatre history and voice production. Kidman has received an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, and multiple other awards and nominations worldwide. She was named one of the most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2004 and 2018. She is also the mother of a forever family touched by adoption. 

Family Beginnings

In 1990, Kidman married the American film actor Tom Cruise. The two met while filming Days Of Thunder (1990), and later starred in Far and Away (1992) and Eyes Wide Shut (1999) together as a married couple. The two were married for eleven years, but decided to divorce in 2001. Many believe their separation was due to differences in beliefs, but both Kidman and Cruise have been private about their reasons.

Bella and Connor

Soon after their marriage, Kidman became pregnant, but it was reported that she suffered an ectopic pregnancy and miscarried. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman adopted children, Isabella (Bella) and Connor, who were welcomed into their family through the Church of Scientology. The couple experienced another miscarriage shortly before their divorce in 2001. After the divorce, Bella and Connor went to live with Cruise, due to their shared beliefs. Kidman’s faith aligns with Catholicism while Cruise, Bella, and Connor believe in Scientology. Both parents and children have stayed private about their relationships and personal lives ever since. 

Nicole Kidman Adopted Children

Despite rumors of strained relationships between Kidman and her adopted children, both Bella and Connor have expressed that they have a good relationship with their adoptive mother. In an interview in 2014, Connor told Women’s Day, “I love my mum. I don’t care what people say, I know that me and Mum are solid. I love her a lot.” Similarly, Bella told New Idea magazine, when asked about her adoptive mother and father in 2012, “Of course we talk, they’re my parents.”

Though Bella and Connor have not appeared in a picture with their adoptive mother since 2006, Kidman claims they keep up through texting. She says that she embraces her role as a mother to all of her children. In an interview with Vanity Fair, she stated, “No matter what your child does, the child has love and the child has to know there is available love and I’m open here. I think that’s so important because if that is taken away from the child, to sever that in any child, in any relationship, in any family – I believe it’s wrong. So that’s our job as a parent, to always unconditionally love.” Whenever asked about Bella and Connor, Kidman only has the highest of praise for her adopted children. “They are generous, kind, and hardworking,” she has said “And these are traits that I love to see in my children.”

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban

In 2006, Kidman married the Country music singer Keith Urban, and they have two daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret.

Isabella Jane Kidman Cruise

Isabella (Bella) Kidman Cruise is the eldest adopted daughter of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. She was born on December 22, 1992, and was adopted soon after her birth. She currently lives outside of London with her husband, Max Parker, an I.T. consultant. She married in 2015, and neither Kidman nor Cruise were invited to the ceremony, but it was later revealed that Cruise paid for the wedding. 

Bella Kidman Cruise Fashion and Art

In 2018, Bella launched her own clothing line called BKC (Bella Kidman Cruise). Bella focuses on art, and her Instagram is filled with her creative pieces. On her website, her bio reads, “Bella has been drawing ever since her wee hands could pick up a pen. Since that point in time, she’s been evolving in her arts. Her go-to medium was pen and paper for most of her life. However, she is now venturing into other formats and mediums [including digital media] which has been a bit of a game[-]changer in her opinion.” 

Connor Anthony Kidman Cruise

Connor Cruise is the adopted son of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. He was born on January 17, 1995, and was also adopted soon after his birth. He keeps his personal life extremely private, but his Instagram gives a peek into a life full of fishing adventures, good food, and steady friendships at his home in Clearwater, Florida. In 2019, he married Silvia Zanchi, of whom little is publicly known other than her dedication to Scientology.

Acting, Music, and Fishing

At the age of 16, Connor began playing gigs as a DJ dubbing himself “DJ C-Squared” for a time. His career had him traveling all around from places like Las Vegas to Australia. Before disappearing from the public eye, Connor also followed in his parents’ footsteps and entered the film industry where he played Young Ben in Seven Pounds (2008), and Daryl Jenkins in Red Dawn (2012). He kept his career as a DJ through 2016 when he suddenly paused, moved to Clearwater, Florida,  and became a deep-sea fishing deckhand for 2 Shea Charters, a company that takes people out for a day-trip to experience deep sea fishing. Now, he is sometimes known as “Captain Connor.”

Nicole Kidman and Adoption

Nicole Kidman and her children may have a complicated relationship, but the actress is still in support of adoption. “Somehow destiny comes into play,” Kidman once shared during an interview about her kids, “These children end up with you, and you end up with them. It’s something quite magical.” It has been rumored that Kidman and Urban have discussed adopting, specifically from India, but Kidman has also stated that she is now “too old” to mother any more children, though she would still love to.

Lion

In the 2016 film Lion, Nicole Kidman played the role of Sue Brierley, a mother who adopts two boys from India. Lion is based on the true story of Saroo Brierley, who was adopted from an orphanage in Calcutta, India, and his journey to find his birth mother as an adult. Kidman embraced the role of Brierley and the two became fast friends in real life. Kidman and Brierley bonded over the unconditional love they share for their children including their motherly natures of patience, support, and gentleness. The two claim they adopted by choice feeling it was part of their path from a young age. 

During an interview for her character, Kidman dedicated her performance to Bella and Connor. “This movie is a love letter to my children. Sue is deeply maternal and full of unconditional love, which is beautiful. That’s why I wanted to do it. I relate to that. I feel that for my own children who are adopted. It’s not about anything else other than ‘I wanted you.’ It’s that deep and personal, and whatever your journey is, I’m here to love and support you. That’s what I connected to.”

During another interview, Kidman praised birth mothers as she expressed the connection she feels she shares with and the love she has for them: “I think the maternal force of our natures and the unconditional love we have for our children is probably the deepest part of how we relate. And the feeling of loving whoever gave birth to the child we’ve adopted – the thread that exists between the adoptive mother – we feel that thread. Some say the adoptive mother may be threatened, and I don’t think that is true. The depth of their love is the purest thing.” 

In one of her lines in the film, Kidman’s character, Sue, tells Saroo, “I can’t wait for her to see how beautiful you are,” when he sets off to find his birth mother.

“That, to me, is the most gorgeous line in the film,” Kidman later expressed. “Because that’s the truth of it for me. Because Saroo has two mothers. He has his adopted mother and his biological mother. There are two of them. One made him, one raised him.” Whenever asked about anything involving adoption, Kidman seems lost in reverie and often grows tearful, so moved by the thoughts and memories.

It is unclear whether or not Bella and Connor have reconnected with their birth parents, as the two maintain strictly private lives. Kidman, however, claims she feels a connection, and is grateful to both of their birth mothers. 

Birth and Expectant Mothers

An expectant mother needs support throughout her adoption journey as she makes various decisions and experiences diverse emotions. Adoption.com,  Adoption.org, and Adopting.or, are great resources for expectant and birth mothers seeking support. She may be entering this journey with many questions and concerns. Before deciding whether or not to place her child for adoption, it is important that an expectant parent be informed and at peace with the decision as there will be both good and difficult days. Maintaining a support system, reaching out to trusted individuals, and forming a plan is important. An expectant mother’s decision to place her child for adoption can be one of the most selfless and loving gifts she can give her child. Each situation is unique, but remember there is always hope and a future for her and her child. 

Adoptive Mothers

Hopeful adoptive parents are those who wish to grow their family through adoption. This path may be chosen for a variety of reasons, but it is important that it is chosen out of love and a willingness to expand one’s heart and home. This often entails connecting with expectant mothers through websites, profiles, or adoption agencies.

One way hopeful adoptive parents can connect with expectant mothers is by creating a parent profile. In order to create a parent profile, some hopeful adoptive parents choose to post on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or blogs to begin connecting with expectant mothers. Adoption agencies and websites, such as Adoption.com or The Gladney Center for Adoption also provide a platform for hopeful adoptive parents and expectant mothers to connect. One’s profile should include general information about family, traditions, beliefs, home, extended family, community, and more. It can also include pictures and can serve as an overview of who the hopeful adoptive parents are. Expectant mothers may view these profiles when considering placing a child for adoption.

Bella and Connor have grown up to become successful and independent adults leading private lives based on their individual interests and beliefs. This is all a mother could hope for and Kidman supports her adopted children in all their ventures. There can be much to learn from the stories of Kidman, Bella, and Connor. There is also much to be learned from testimonies, books, and films of those like Sue and Saroo Brierley in Lion. Having support from one’s adoptive parents can contribute much to the development of healthy, independent, and successful adults. Not all adoption journeys are easy, and the parent-child relationship may endure various trials, arguments, silent stints, and disagreements, but healthy reunification is possible. Such complications occur between parents and children all the time. This is family. This is a relationship. This is love. There is always hope. 

No matter your location, role in the adoption process, or stage in life, adoption is life-changing and challenging. Adoption, however, can also be a blessing and a growing experience for all people involved. It may not always feel this way, but it is my hope that you find support and courage through the process. No matter your story, there can be unconditional love, hope, and healing in your future.