Actor Leonardo DiCaprio fell in love with a little South African girl while he was in the country filming Blood Diamond and has decided to adopt her. However, he won’t be bringing her home to LA, but instead will send a check each month and "adopt her from a distance."
Source: NY Post via HotNewsOnline
Thanks to CBB reader Courtney
Uh, Its called sponsoring a child. A lot of people do it. He just sends a little more per month. I applaud everyone who contributes that way. I think its great that she can stay with her own family and community.
- katie on
I think that it is nice and everything but doesnt this little girl need a family not just money thrown here way!
- brandy on
Sorry, but adoption is not done from a distance. Sponsorship is. Parenting is hands on, not simply contiributing money to a child’s education. A real parent parents, not just hands out money.
- brave on
Is ‘adopting from a distance’ the same thing as ‘a dollar a day’? It used to be you ‘sponsored’ a child now they say you actually ‘adopt’ a child. Is it the same thing or a completely different concept?
- Heavenly_hibiscus on
I think its great that he’s contributing in the best way he can and making a difference to a child.
“I think that it is nice and everything but doesnt this little girl need a family not just money thrown here way!”
Brandy – it’d be great if all the orphans of the world could have families but unfortunatley thats not possible. At least this girl has someone to contribute some money so hopefully she can have an education and contribute to her country’s economy in the future which is sadly so far out of reach to most children in poor countries. If Leonardo did adopt her and take her back to America people would be on his back for taking her out of her home country like Madonna.
- Amy on
I think it’s great that he’s doing this! When Madonna adopted David people thought she should just sponsor him and leave him with his father, but now that Leo is doing that, people say he’s not a real parent, that he’s just handing out money? We dont know what situation the little girl is in. Maybe she already has a family. Perhaps Leo just fell in love with her but didn’t want to upset her life and uproot her from her surroundings. Honestly, I think what he’s doing is very admirable. Any time someone contributes to improving another person’s life, they get a thumbs up in my book.
- Zoey on
What bothers me is not that Leo is simply “throwing money her way” but the fact that he’s being credited with “adopting” this little girl. I think he’s doing a great thing, but as someone who’s been involved in the adoption and foster care community her whole life, I know that he is most certainly not adopting her (and I doubt he sees it that way). To quote my father, who is an adoptive and foster father, being an adoptive dad means “committing your own time and emotional energy to a child whose race, background, and emotional makeup may be dramatically different from your own. It means sacrificing a part of yourself for the benefit of a little one who so desperately needs a dad to show them that they are worth such a sacrifice.”
Kudos to Leo for helping this little girl. I think he’s doing a wonderful thing, and this child’s life will be better because of him. I don’t want to discredit what he is doing, but I also don’t want to see adoptive parents discredited for what they’ve done. I don’t want people to read this news and think that adoption is no more than a financial commitment; adoption is a 24/7 commitment of time and energy (and a 24/7 blessing!).
- Callie on
Maybe he is not ready to have children of his own and wants to help in some way. I applaud him for not adopting a child he may not feel capable of taking care of,physically that is.
- CaliAngel on
It doesn’t say anywhere that she doesn’t have a family – Perhaps she does, and he doesn’t wish to take her away from her home and her country. Sponsoring a child is a great thing! I sponsor two, and I can tell it makes a difference to their lives.
- Aura on
adopting is where you want to take the child home love them cherish every moment in their lives just like you would do a child you had yourself. Like I said before it is great what he is doing for this little girl but its not adopting its just sponsorship! Which is still great but if he is going to adopt her then he should adopt her completley
- brandy on
I don’t think he should be critized for this- either way he’s helping her out by sending money. That’s better than nothing at all.
I completely agree with Amy.
- -Lauren- on
I think what he does is great.
- Anna on
Amy, you are so right! Thank you.
I think what Leo is doing is very kind. He’s giving a child the right things that she needs. Food, education. He’s giving her a proper chance at life – doesn’t every child in this world deserve that?
Leo has a very busy lifestyle with work and everything so it wouldn’t really be in the child’s best interests if he brought her over to America. Children need parents to be able to stay at home and bring them up that way, and its unfortunate that Leo can’t.
WELL DONE LEONARDO!
- Jay on
Go Leo!
I’m sure he’s not the one claiming he “adopted her” – it just makes for a better headline if they use that word. Not too many single guys think about the plight of starving orphans in Africa, so he definitely deserves some credit for being aware and generous.
- PSB on
It would be so wonderful if he adopted her! I know this is off topic but he is gorgeous!
- NicoleMarie on
Okay, I love the fact that he is gonna give this little girl money to provide her with what she needs, its wonderful. He’s leaving her in Africa thou, so…I say he should sponser atleast 50 little African girls, he has the money to do it. He could build his own little DiCaprio Village in Africa.
- Renee on
Advertisement
PEOPLE.com reserves the right to remove comments at their discretion.
Free Weekly Newsletter
"Your child's not looking at you and going, 'Mmm, I love a clavicle. Let me nestle into that.'"
Today!
