Famous Folks Who Were Adopted or Orphaned
1. NFL wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was raised by his aunt Shirley and her husband after his mother was incarcerated for intent to distribute cocaine when he was 11-years-old. His father was serving overseas in the Army..
2. Comedian Tommy Davidson was adopted by a white couple when he was around two years old. (Photo: PR Photos)
3. Dancer and actress Victoria Rowell was a foster child for most of her childhood with both black and white families. (PR)
4. The late Nelson Mandela was taken to a larger village and raised as a ward after his father died.
5. Rachel Crow of X Factor was adopted by a white family when she was small. She recently signed a contract with Nickelodeon.
6. Darryl McDaniels of RUN-D.M.C. discovered he was adopted while gathering information for his autobiography in 2000. (PR)
7. Louis Armstrong was raised by his grandmother and in an orphanage when she was unable to care for him. (Photo: AP)
8. Actor & Rapper Ice-T was orphaned at age nine and was looked after by a variety of family members and neighbors. (AP)
9. Actor and comedian Jamie Foxx was adopted at seven months by his maternal grandmother. (Photo: AP)
10. Nicole Richie was adopted by legendary singer Lionel Richie. (Photo: AP)
11. Bo Diddley was adopted and raised by his mother’s cousin, Gussie McDaniel, whose surname he adopted. (Photo: AP)
12. Malcolm X was raised in an orphanage and in foster care. (Photo: AP)
13. Marilyn Monroe spent much of her childhood in foster homes due to her mother’s mental illness. (Photo: AP)
14. Daunte Culpepper was adopted by one of the housemothers of the jail his teenage mom was in when he was born. (Photo: AP)
Famous Folks Who Were Adopted or Orphaned was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
