Sex and the City's Willie Garson Adopts a Son

Jen Lowery/Startraks

Willie Garson will soon be packing his bags and relocating to New York to film Sex and the City 2; this time, however, he will not be making the move alone.

Following years of planning, Garson tells TV Guide Magazine that he is in the process of finalizing the adoption of an 8-year-old boy, Nathen.

With his heart set on a toddler, Willie, 45, was taken by surprise upon meeting Nathen during an adoption fair in Los Angeles.

“It’s like a pet fair – as horrifying as you can imagine,” he recalls. “It was really hard. The 16-year-old fat, ugly kid, who has probably been to 30 of these, knows he’s not going to get adopted. Like everything, cute wins.”

To that end, Willie was shocked that his son was still in the system. “I couldn’t believe my kid was actually available for adoption,” says the doting dad. “He’s so cute and sweet.”

With the father-son duo living together since February, Willie reveals that the boy is adjusting well. “He’s going into third grade, plays baseball, goes to karate and has a posse of pals,” he notes. And despite the upcoming move cross country, the actor will continue to encourage a relationship between Nathen and his biological mother.

“For many reasons, she couldn’t care for him, but I will never let her not see him,” he explains.

In addition to adapting to his new home, Nathen will also be exposed to his father’s celebrity status. “I think he’s going to be freaked out when we go to New York, where [the SATC cast] are like the Yankees,” jokes Willie. “We can’t walk 20 feet without being mobbed.”

Taking advantage of his time in New York, the actor, who will resume his role as Carrie Bradshaw’s pal Stanford Blatch in SATC, will also begin filming his role on the new series White Collar.

Source: TV Guide

Thanks to CBB reader Meghan.

– Anya

Comments

Krystal on August 7th, 2009

I love adoption! having been adopted myself I think it’s great when kids young are old are able to connect with a loving parent!

RIP Michael on August 7th, 2009

Aw how cute! Loved this post

Angi on August 7th, 2009

That is amazing. Anyone who adopts an older child really earns my respect.

Sarah K. on August 7th, 2009

not gonna lie, i got a little teary eyed lol. both willie and his son are very lucky to have found each other. kudos to willie for adopting an older child!!

L on August 7th, 2009

OMG thats so adorable, I love Stanny!!! What a sweet story!

mrs darcy on August 7th, 2009

I love this man!
What a great gift to give to a child of any age!

Erica on August 7th, 2009

Sounds like a perfect match.

nan on August 7th, 2009

did i read this wrong, or did he call the 16 year olds that would love to be adopted as sometimes “fat, ugly kids”??? that makes me sad. nevertheless, as a parent who adopted, i am sure willie did not mean it to be offensive. it may have come off that way though…….

Lacey on August 7th, 2009

I get what he was trying to mean on the “16 year old fat,ugly kid” comment, but it really came off as really rude. That’s great, however, that he adopted and both at happy.

April on August 7th, 2009

I find his comments beyond disgusting and rude. Just because someone perceives a child 16 or 2 as fat and ugly is just down right ridiculous. I guess he had “standards” for the child he would adopt but his comments are really horrible. I read it, re-read it and read it a 3rd time to see if I was reading it correctly. While I love him in SATC, he himself is no first place beauty prize winner.

zeezee on August 7th, 2009

I think with his comment he was not insulting, but just pointing out how sad it made him to see that certain kids would stay in the system longer, because they had less physical appeal, i.e., overweight, not “cute.” Seemed to me that he was pointing out the superficiality, unfairness of that….not insulting anyone.

Anna on August 7th, 2009

He was not being rude he was just describing how things were at that fair.

I never knew these fairs existed! It sounds quite bad. Like the children are on display to be picked.

nan on August 7th, 2009

even if he meant it or not ( i am guessing not- afterall, he must be a big supporter of adoption) – to describe anyone – especially a child – as “fat and ugly” is offensive and inappropriate.

Jenn on August 7th, 2009

I took it to mean he was saying, “The kids who people think are fat and ugly aren’t getting adopted.”

I really respect him for adopting an older child. It sounds like things are already going well.

Elzbieta on August 7th, 2009

I actually held out on commenting on this to see if I was the only one who read it that way. Like you April, I read it over and over again and it just sounded bad. I can’t believe my son was still available, look how cute he is as if ugly or less attractive kids can’t get adopted. For many people who do international adoption or adoption via foster care there’s no way for you to pick a child by attractiveness. I mean i would honestly hope and pray that a person who goes into the adoption process would not have that mentality! As someone who intends to adopt that really sickens and worries me.

Nonetheless, a child has a home so congrats to them both.

brook on August 7th, 2009

I’m with you April…his comments were def inappropriate…some people are not born with the ability to not say what they are thinking!

Torre on August 7th, 2009

I to was a bit confused about the fat,ugly, 16 year-old statement at first. So I re-read it, and I got his “true” meaning. But…then I wondered why he didn’t choose to adopt that poor 16 year-old fat, ugly kid that’s been to 30+ adoption fairs! Why did he too, do the typical (self-serving) thing and choose to adopt an 8 year-old cute younger boy instead. He himself knew that the older kid desperatly needed a good home, and would likely not be adopted. I still like his work on SATC, and will run to the theatre when it comes out. But, I really wish he had never’ve made that statement.

April on August 8th, 2009

I just think the way it came across was that “oh look at that teenager…he’s fat, he’s ugly, no wonder he doesn’t have a home/family. I agree…I don’t think he meant it like that at least I hope not. That’s basically the same as the biological parents who give up their newborns/kids because there is something wrong with them and not perfect. He may not have meant it to be so ridiculous but that’s how I read it.

April on August 8th, 2009

You know I read it again….He ended that sentence with “like everything, cute wins”. My opinion is that he exactly meant it that if the kid isn’t cute and doesn’t meet society’s standards then they aren’t going to get adopted. I know if I was adopting my decision would be based on the child/personality etc. I would not base my choices on appearances but then appearances don’t mean to much to me anyways.

Nina on August 8th, 2009

It’s so sad how many older children are just waiting for a good home, and then when they turn 18 there out of the system without ever having a family.
Could you imagine being a kid and going to these events over and over again, hoping a family will want you and never getting one…man that has to be the worst feeling in the world!
So sad but at least there’s one more kid who won’t grow up in the system thanks to Willie!

michelle on August 8th, 2009

Pick, pick, pick. The point of his statement was that the adoption fair and how kids are chosen is horrifying. Similar to adopting a pet at Petsmart on a Sunday afternoon….cute wins.

How do you know he didn’t talk to the 16 year old? How do we even know there was a 16 year old there? He probably just made a generalization to highlight how horrifying this type of thing is. Obviously if he went there, he was doing the selfless thing and trying to find a child that only he could make a connection with instead of just taking a cute cuddly baby.

CelebBabyLover on August 8th, 2009

Kudos to Willie for not only adopting, but adopting an older child!

alice jane on August 8th, 2009

Once a kid gets beyond the toddler ages, the chances of them being adopted go way down, so I have to say that I really respect Willie for adopting an older child. And I respect those parents who do choose a younger child as well, as it’s always good to hear about another kid with a loving family. It’s just so sad to think about the older kids who aren’t getting adopted because they aren’t as “endearing” as the babies, or, as Willie said, because of something as superficial as their appearance.

I’m happy though that he and his new son seem to have gotten a happy ending; Willie sounds so proud of his boy!

Micheley on August 8th, 2009

I don’t think he was trying to be insulting at all. But its the truth, people always want new and cute. Its the same way for animals, cars, appliances, etc. Its just a fact of life. A baby has a much more likely chance of being adopted then a teenager.

deedot on August 8th, 2009

I think he was just saying the truth. Its horrible and insulting and offensive …but its the truth that is those things, not him. Though I agree…it makes me want to run out to n adpotion fair (they don’t have them in Oz) and adopt that 16 yr old! A friend works with an orphanage in Tanzania and he says that they get these American 20+ yr olds who work there for a aummer nad then adopt one of teh kids…and its always the cutest loveliest kid, never the older kid with cleft palate. Drives him insane. Its the same world over. Indeed research shows that less attractive children are also more likely to be physically abused by their own families…

zarab on August 8th, 2009

Can someone please tell me if there really are such things as ‘adoption fairs’??!! I’m completely horrified by the concept… has anyone ever been to one? Do people really wander around and pick out their favourite child?!

Good on him for adopting an older child, but I would really like to know more about these adoption fairs…

Mari on August 8th, 2009

Yes I would imagine that going to an adoption fair would indeed be horrifying, although not as half as horrifying as a child being at an adoption fair.

As for his comment about ‘cute wins’ – well he is only speaking the truth. Cute babies on this site often elicit a large number of comments.

He appears – like all of us here – to be really committed to being the best parent that he can possibly be. And he has a great attitude about his child’s biological mother.

I wish him and his son many years of happiness.

Hea on August 8th, 2009

That’s the process in America? To parade avaliable kids like that? Sweden stopped doing that sixty years ago. Then again, there are hardly any domestic adoptions here.

I’d like to congratulate him on finding his son and I hope his son has found himself a good dad. I totally understand what he means by these comments. They may see rude but I have a feeling that it’s the honest truth. I suppose you could compare it to going to an audition for a big block buster or a fashion magazine.

skunknuggets on August 8th, 2009

Good for him for adopting an older child. However, after his comment about “fat, ugly” teenagers not being adopted, I wonder why he commented about adopting a “cute” 8 year old? Why not adopt an “ugly” older child?

j.U.d.E. on August 8th, 2009

“Adoption Fair”?! What on earth is that?! I mean I know what it is, but I didn’t know they still existed… I thought that was something from the early 20th century and earlier, where parents who couldn’t have children would go to an orphanage and ‘pick the less dirty kid’..

This sound truely horrible. Like someone said – like a pet fair (which I hate by the way – very depressing all the caged animals! Couldn’t stand it!).

CTBmom on August 8th, 2009

I agree that I don’t think he meant anything by his statement, other than pointing out that it’s harder for older and what society may see as “not attractive” children to find homes. I am so excited that he found his son, and that the little guy is adjusting well. I adopted my son as a newborn, and I admit there were a few times I felt guilty because I didn’t adopt an older child, but I so desperately wanted to experience that baby stage. I WANTED to do the middle of the night feedings, to experience watching him roll over the first times, cut his first tooth, take his first steps. I can’t bash anyone for wanting a newborn, but I think that it’s wonderful when older children and families are matched. If I had been able to adopt again, I definitely would have wanted to adopt older child.

Alice on August 8th, 2009

I don’t think there even was a fat and ugly 16-year-old. It was just an image to say that people want little kids and they want beautiful kids.

Torre you ask why he didn’t adopt the ugly 16-year-old? Well in a way he DID. He came in wanting a toddler and he came out with an 8-year-old. Cute, yes, but older, one of the children that have less chance to be adopted. He connected woth him and took him anyway. I think it’s a great thing he did, congrats to Willie and nathan for finding each other.

cheray on August 8th, 2009

I cannot get over the “Adoption Fair” concept….how barbaric.

Whoever came up with the idea of putting children on display and then rejected because they’re not “good” or “cute” or “young” enough?

This practice ought to be outlawed!

Janet on August 8th, 2009

God bless his family & God bless the many precious children & teens who yearn for loving homes! Reading his story reminds me of just how blessed I am in my life.

Jessicad on August 8th, 2009

What he said is true though, as sad as it is. It made me cry thinking about those poor kids. Definitely good for him adopting an older child, hope these two are very happy!

Doreen on August 8th, 2009

I guess he’s def one of those people who wouldn’t get a “16 year old fat,ugly kid”! He is right about ‘cute wins’ I believe that’s true.

Elzbieta on August 8th, 2009

I’ve heard of adoption fairs, where the children weren’t there and it was basically a bunch of agencies and social workers with information. If he was so horrified by it, I don’t really see why he’d participate in it.

Erika on August 8th, 2009

How wonderful that he adopted an 8 year old boy.

One of my old teachers (who was divorced with no kids and in her 50′s) retired and adopted a 10 year old from some foreign country. I know it was a difficult adjustment but now 4 years later, they are just like other mother and daughters and the girl is even more appreciative because she never thought she would get adopted.

I also think the idea of an adoption fair is horrifying, how humiliating for the children who see other kids constantly getting adopted. Plus, you shouldn’t have to ‘shop’ for your child, you should really be matched. But at least something great did come out of it for Nathan!

TC on August 8th, 2009

Ok people a simple google search would answer so many of the questions you guys have asked.

An adoption fair does not have the kids on display like some of you (me included until I googled) thought. It’s an INFORMATIVE workshop that brings all the agencies as well as other support networks under one roof. Possibly there are pictures of children waiting to be adopted but there are no kids there that are waiting to be adopted.

http://www.sanantonioadoptionfair.com/press_release.html
http://www.austinadoptionfair.org/
http://www.tristateadoptionfair.com/adoptionfair.html
http://www.miamivalleyadoptionfair.org/
http://www.fortcollinsnow.com/article/20090423/NEWS/904239983/1060
http://www.dhr.georgia.gov/portal/site/DHS/menuitem.3d43c0fad7b3111b50c8798dd03036a0/?vgnextoid=d66107a5bbc8c010VgnVCM100000bf01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=b20463fdf354c010VgnVCM100000bf01010aRCRD

noam on August 8th, 2009

i have been to an adoption fair, and they are just as awkward and horrible as you imagine. it was three years ago in new jersey, so hopefully things have changed.
but it took place in a large convention hall, and there were rows of display tables. the kids sat at the table, with a poster about themselves, maybe some props. and they were each numbered. potential parents walked around and talked to the kids, and then once they found a child or children they wanted to learn more about, they went to the head desk and told them the number. if the child only had one person interested, they got to stay after the fair for a dinner with the potential parents, to talk more. if there were multiple people or no one interested, they went somewhere else…the cuter and more out-going kids all definitely had multiple people, but older, shyer, disabled,even non-caucasian kids had no one. i went with my stepbrother, who was adopting alone, and when he said he was interested in the nine year old boy with cataracts, even the workers were shocked. but my stepbrother adopted him and he is seriously the greatest kid ever…

having said that, i have heard rumor that other fairs are more like carnivals, and are much more relaxed…

Jenneen on August 8th, 2009

Oh yes, adoption fair are real. We went to one in California, when we were adopting there. In our county they did them twice a year, once with the kids there and once just pictures of the kids. They are not as bad as they sound. It gets people’s mind open to the possibilty of adopting older kids or sibling sets. Everyone just plays carnival games and eats. Adoption is a long hard process, he did a good thing.

Lola on August 8th, 2009

I thought the “adoption fair” was more like a picnic for all the children who are up for adoption, I mean that all the orphanages have a day filled with food and events and people who are looking to adopt come too and spend time with different children.
I don’t think it is like a pet fair, where each kid has his own booth and stands next to a sign with their name on it with a list of their favorite things and hobbies on it.

I think everyone is reading too much into what he’s said. I interpreted as him making a joke. He’s not saying he picked a child for his looks, but he wants to compliment his son and so he calls his son “cute”.
Let’s just commend a man for adopting a child at all, and it’s all the better that it was an older child instead of a dimpled baby.

RIP Michael on August 8th, 2009

I understood what he meant. And whose to say if the kid he mentioned was even real? Maybe he was using that as an example of what the older children have to go through. Those kids know that the youngest cutest kids go first and I think he was stating the obvious. Probably the same posters that targeted his comment say uglier things when they post on this site. People are so quick to point out the negative.

All Women Stalker on August 8th, 2009

That is wonderful of him. He is a beautiful man. Perhaps we’ll see paparazzi photos of the kid. Not intrusive ones, I hope.

-meream

Amie on August 8th, 2009

I cannot believe somebody could even think that way all children are beautiful in their own right… sick

Dahlia on August 8th, 2009

There is no 16 year old! He was obviously giving an example trying to show how sad the adoption process can be. He meant “fat and ugly” in the potential adopter’s eyes, not his own. Wow, people on this site just love twisting everyone’s words and making a big deal out of nothing.
And why are people getting on his back for calling his son “cute”? He’s not allowed to compliment his own child?

Lisa on August 8th, 2009

We might like to think that what Willie is saying is wrong and offensive but he is just speaking the truth. Even those older children themselves know that they will not be adopted and the cute, adorable baby will be the adopted one. It’s a fact of life, whether we like it or not. Go on some other celebrity sites where they have pictures of celebrity babies and you will hear, he or she is ugly or what a ugly child? really awful things. Society is all about looks.

fuzibuni on August 8th, 2009

i think a lot of us have a difficult time accepting some of the sad facts of life.
And when someone states a hard truth we want to shoot the messenger instead of doing something to change the situation.

Adoption has many difficult aspects to it, which are distasteful to many. This is the reason many don’t adopt. For the most part, you do ‘pick’ your child during the adoption process… meaning that by default, other kids get rejected.

And if the kid is over a few years old, they know exactly what is going on… whether you go to the orphanage directly and choose a child (like angelina and madonna), go to an agency and spend one-on-one time with different children, or attend an adoption fair, you are going to have to pick one kid over another.

That said, please don’t criticize this man for speaking the truth. He did a good thing by giving this young boy a loving home. I wonder how many of us would do the same.

Sanja on August 8th, 2009

Won’t all of you criticizing Willie be surprised when we see his son and he turns out to be ‘chubby and not so beautiful’!
Just because his Dad feels he’s cute doesn’t mean that he really is (my cousin is what you’d probably call weird looking -as people do with Christina Aguilera’s son, but we all still call him cute).

Sarah on August 8th, 2009

I think it’s awesome Willie adopted an older child!!

Nicole on August 8th, 2009

This man is opening his home and heart to a child in need and is being called “sick” for a comment that may have come across the wrong way. Some people need to step away from the computer and evaluate their own actions and comments if they are pathetic enough to pass judgment on this man!

Candice on August 8th, 2009

Congratulations Garson family! best wishes and I hope the transition continues to go smoothly <3

Erin on August 8th, 2009

Alice and Dahlia, I totally agree with you. I don’t think there was a 16 year old at the “fair”. I think he was making a point about the older a kid is, the less adorable he/she might be in the eyes of a potential parent the less likely that child is going to be adopted. I know there are kids sixteen and older waiting to be adopted, but I honestly think Willie was making a hypothetical point. Anyhow, I think any man willing and able to adopt any child is fantastic. The fact that his son is eight only made the story sweeter for me. Congratulations to the Garsons!

KartofflMuter on August 8th, 2009

Congratulations! I agree with the poster who said if we saw a picture of the little boy,he might not fit our idea of cute and adorable. After all,how many pretty girls have you seen married to men you would not consider quite their equal in looks? We see with our hearts,luckily. I swear my children were absolutely the most beautiful creatures ever born on earth when I first saw them. Yet looking at the first pictures now,I think the photographer had no talent. This man has stepped out and done something wonderful. Match him or be quiet.

ERICKA on August 9th, 2009

I enjoyed his honesty of how he felt…i mean we all know older children are less likely to get adopted and I highly doubt he meant that the kid wasn’t gonna get adopted because of how he looked but moreso his age.

What a wonderful story and congrats.

CelebBabyLover on August 9th, 2009

fuzibuni- Madonna DID pick David and Mercy, but, except for Maddox, Angelina did not pick her eldest kids. Zahara and Pax were “assigned” to her. When Pax was adopted, the adoption agency explaned that Angelina request a healthy boy between the ages of 3-5, and Pax was the only one who fit the bill. So they sent Angelina a “referral” and she “accepted the first and only referral given to her”. With Zahara, I remember reading in PEOPLE Magazine that Zahara was also “assigned” to her.

Sara on August 9th, 2009

This post made me physically ill. Adopting a child is not a joking matter ….. especially when you decide to make comments about children being rejected because of age or looks. Why would he put those thoughts and behaviors of superficial people on speakerphone?? His comment wasn’t sincere or insightful…. it was distasteful. These poor children. It’s not enough that they have no family to care for them but then for someone to highlight why they are unappealing? Why couldn’t he have made a comment about how uncomfortable that “fair” must have been for the children and how he wished he could adopt them all and give them a loving home (And leave it at that). Even if this was a “hypothetical” comment and there were no 16 yr. olds or other children, it was still a revolting thing to say. I have so much respect for those who are willing to just open their heart to any child that needs a loving family, regardless of their physical appearance and age.

Jordie on August 9th, 2009

Give him a break- I don’t think he meant what he said in the way some of you are taking it. I would have said the same thing in a conversation, but that by no means would indicate I think older children are unadoptable- It is simply a way of getting the point across. And it’s true, isn’t it? Alot of people who adopt (particularly some celebrities who are following a “trend”) will pick a good looking child to adopt. We all know it happens- fortunatly though, there are people (like Willie, and alot of non- celebs) who will adopt for the right reasons.

Jessica on August 9th, 2009

Dahlia, could not agree with you more. This site is becoming a disaster, you can’t have an opinion that’s different from the masses. Everything is twisted around, and everything people say is picked apart, I guess some people just need to complain about something. Congrats to Willie and his new family!

unclelaverne on August 9th, 2009

A. Sounds like he was just being honest. Truth hurts sometimes doesn’t it? 2. Probably taken out of context like most every “shocking” thing we hear. C. Why not have a sense of humor about pretty much everything. Being serious, literal and overthinking every comment people make is to much work. Life’s too short.

I’m happy the boy gets a home. I’m sure it’ll be great for them both. Really that’s all that matters.

GG on August 9th, 2009

I see the sanctimommies are out in full force again.
Good lord people. While what Willie said isn’t warm and fuzzy, it is very true! Most people who adopt wish to adopt babies. Some will adopt toddlers but in general, most people aren’t looking to bring home a brand new bouncing teenager. Of course, it isn’t fair and it is very sad, but it is what it is.

Sarah K. on August 9th, 2009

unfortunately, what he said was true. not many people want the older “less cute” kids. i wonder how many of those who find that comment offensive have actually adopted a teenager. i willing to bet that almost none of you have. it’s very easy to sit there and judge other people for stating the truth, but what are you doing to fix the problem? when one of you adopts the unattractive 16 year old, then start talking.

KD on August 9th, 2009

The problem is not that he made a comment about a child not be adoptable, the problem is the system that these children are in calls them unadoptable. Reasons for a child to not be adoptable include age, race, mental or physical disability, and yes, even looks. A judge decides whether or not a child is adoptable and they can decide at any time that a child has gotten too old, too sick, or too ugly to be adopted and then the foster care system has to come up with another “permanency’ plan for the child, which can include foster care until age 18.

I work in this system for an independent (not state) agency and work with children in foster care. Unfortunately, there are more children in foster care then there are families willing to adopt a “less than” perfect child. Even those who are considered adoptable are often not adopted after age six.

I applaud Willie for taking an older child and I think his comments were to make a point about why adoption fairs are held and the sadness of the adoption fair. A 16 year old child has little hope to be adopted, in fact the child Willie adopted had very little chance of finding a permanent home. He has done a good thing and his comments were meant to get people’s attention to a very big problem.

Tina on August 10th, 2009

Wow every post these days gets conflict these days….
Also, I find it so funny when people feel like they know the celebrities personally, and in every post feel a need to bring up the facts they know about them…(CelebBabyLover), it’s getting a bit old!
Congrats to Willie and his son!

Tina on August 10th, 2009

Meant to say every post gets conflict these days….a bit tired lol

Sarah on August 10th, 2009

I love him on Sex and the City as well as the movie! Good for him and congrats on the new edition to his family.
And to all the pot stirrers on here, REALLY!?!?!
Can we all just agree that he did a great thing by providing a home to this child and agree to disagree because we don’t all share the same views? Please! Before casting judgment on someone you don’t know for doing something good for the world, ask yourself what you’ve done for the world.

erin on August 10th, 2009

I am sure he meant to only reveal the true hideousness of the situation, but can see how some were bothered by how he said it. That may happen in most situations but there are many loving parent(s) who open up their home to children who are not “physically attractive”. I hope to someday adopt at least one older child….even a teenager possibly.

Sandra on August 10th, 2009

Were his comments taken out of context? I’m confused and really surprised he would say such awful things about a child who is overweight. It’s great that he adopted a child who needs a loving home, but the comments he made are not flattering.

eternalcanadian on August 10th, 2009

I agree with Willie on the way adoption is, especially at those horrible adoption fairs. People are always going to pick the “cutest” and “youngest” kid. The statistics don’t lie. Older kids (usually those past toddler age) are unlikely to ever be adopted.

People who are seeking to adopt are very seldom going to write down on their application they want a 16-year old. They always pick a baby or a toddler (2 to 3 year old).

I so understand that analogy of “fat and ugly” because that is the way adoption and society is. Look at school. When a class is selected into two teams, who gets picked first for the teams? The best and cutest. Willie is just telling it like it is at those adoption fairs.

Frankly, those adoption fairs should be outlawed in the first place. I can’t imagine the horrible feelings the children that aren’t “picked” must have as they’re shipped back to wherever they came from. I can’t believe this is going on in the USA today. Obviously they are as that’s how Willie came across Nathan.

Oh I so hope Canada doesn’t do these things! I should check it out but I’m too scared to least I find out we do!

Kudos to Willie for stepping up to the plate and choosing Nathan to be his son. Hopefully some day, and soon, there will be a less exhibitionist and “public” way to enable domestic adoptions and encourage people to adopt older children.

CelebBabyLover on August 11th, 2009

Tina- Whoa! You’re putting words in my mouth! I have never said that I feel like I know any celeb personally, and in fact I DON’T feel like I know any of them personally! I am, however, a big fan of some of them, so naturally I am going to defend them, with facts if neccesary, when people make nasty comments about them.

All of that said, obviously you don’t have to like my comments. However, I don’t think it was neccesary for you to call me out like that. You can express your opinion about certain people’s comments without naming names.

CelebBabyLover on August 11th, 2009

Sarah- Right on!

Tina on August 11th, 2009

Let me guess CBL from the Mid West??

KartofflMuter on August 11th, 2009

Whoa there! Tina and CBL. You both seemed really nice and sane to me and I agreed with BOTH of you but that last comment Tina-OUT OF LINE. What’s wrong with the midwest? Are people in the midwest really all cheeseheads and beer swillers or ignorant fools eating giant steaks? Is that what
you think? I am so tired of that stereotype! Every time you hear about new research,look where it comes from. Usually Madison,Wisconsin,Chicago,Stanford. Obama?-Chicago. There are great theatres, museums,zoos, and art programs in the midwest. I lived there for over 25 years. It’s a very forward thinking place. As a Californian now,we have just as many farmers as Iowa does. And certainly we have just as many Celeb lovers. I don’t read People-can’t afford to,but found the news interesting. I applaud anyone who has room to take in a child of any age and make him or her a part of their family. As for the poster who said Willy should have taken the mythic 16 year old in-I think not. The character he plays in SITS,if I recall,is a gay man,and can you just imagine the gossip the wags would start over THAT! Shades of Woody Allen and Soon Yee. Think people.
Parenting is HARD!!!! Again,I salute and congratulate this wonderful man. I took in 2 foreign students for 9 months-that was hard enough.But at least I support a child in India. Just do something. Get off your righteous bums-ok?

Tina on August 11th, 2009

No problem with Midwest just saying if you live in a big city LA or NYC then you’re used to celebs and don’t need to pretend you know every detail of their lives, because at a point in a big city you don’t really care that much, you see them all the time!
I agree with you that it might be hard for him to adopt an older child, based on his character on the show, people might assume things and it might be hard for them.
P.S. Obama is actually from Hawaii!

Sarah M. on August 11th, 2009

Torre – Maybe he simply felt a connection with Nathan from the start. From what I’ve heard, that is how families usually choose the child they adopt. They see the child they are meant to have, and automatically sense it.

I don’t think he meant the comment to come out that way. I think he was trying to imagine how the 16 year old would feel seeing everyone choosing to adopted younger and cuter kids. Like maybe the 16 year old is thinking “Their choosing the cute little 2 year old over fat, ugly me!” Not that he thinks that, but that the older kids that aren’t getting adopted might think it. (I may be reading too much into it, though…)

Regardless, kudos to him for adopting an older child!

KartofflMuter on August 12th, 2009

Tina,while I realize Obama was born in Hawaii and lived in Indonesia,and NYC,my point is he was nurtured in Chicago. I’ve lived in L.A. Never saw one single celeb. Gee-I must have gone to the wrong Ralph’s.I’ve lived in Philadelphia and Milwaukee and Seattle and San Francisco and Portland and Vienna and 1/2 a dozen other big cities. No celebs. Word-I don’t KNOW every detail about celebs because I don’t CARE about every detail of celebs.I have a life,children-a husband. If I spend time on celeb trivia,it’s because those people are important to my kids and I like to keep current but other than that-WHO CARES? REALLY? What’s really important? Why my daughter had an upset stomach this morning or why my son hasn’t e-mailed. They are my celebs. I know famous people. They just as dumb as I am.

CelebBabyLover on August 12th, 2009

Kartofflmiller- Thank you! I actually AM from the Midwest, and I hate those sterotypes! The Midwest happens to be a very nice place, I love living here, and I can’t imagine living anywhere else!

KartofflMuter on August 12th, 2009

They ARE just as dumb as I am! Sheesh! Well that proved my point. CBL-I’d move back to the midwest in a minute if I could. 4 reasons,as Alan Alda said, ” Spring,Summer,Fall, & Winter.” I love THE GREAT LAKES. Celebrities didn’t pop out of an immaculate bubble somewhere in Tarzana. They came from from Macon,Georgia,Raleigh,NC,Houston,Iowa( Ashton Kutcher), Milwaukee ( Tony Shaloub), Graz,Austria (The Arnold). Shall I continue? Me?-I ‘m a neighbor of The Arnold’s. Call me a world citizen. I’m not celeb crazy. Maybe it’s because my training is in theatre and some of my friends are famous now. Who cares? I made my choice and I’m living it. So you see,I understand Willie and his desire to have a child. Acting demands a serious devotion. Willie gave up a lot and now he wants the part of his hife he had deferred. Wish him well and LEAVE him alone.

Tricia on August 12th, 2009

Although it is nice that he is taking in this boy and raising him, and it is wonderful that he even mentions the mom of the boy, this 8-year-old has a father. He may not have a good father or he may not know who his father is, but he does have a dad. For this article to call Willie the “father” is misleading. As a reunited adoptee and natural mother of three children, I find it sad that the media believe a father can be made by picking out a child at an adoption fair. A father is made when a child is conceived. Sometimes, the father is a horrid one or absent, but there is only one father and while Willie’s desire to help this child and raise him is admirable, these things do not make him the father.

dearling on August 12th, 2009

It’s my belief that biology/genetics make a father in name only, but actual fathering makes a parent. What Willie’s doing (I’m inferring, of course), is parenting this child, rather than simply fathering one.

Jaycee on August 12th, 2009

Honestly I get where Tina is coming from, I think she meant just because you love celebrities doesn’t mean you know everything about them. No celeb is as they appear, trust me my son goes to school with a bunch of celeb kids and their parents are not what they appear in mags etc…. That’s what PR people are for! LOL
Great for Willie, and for the comment that said he can’t be called the father I disagree, the boys “real” father gave the sperm and now Willie is the father for the rest of his life! That’s true commitment and a beautiful, loving thing!

PhaQ on August 13th, 2009

Eventhough you may feel it is selfish he chose the “cute” one, Torre, but at least he wasn’t selfish enough to go for a surrogate!

Kate on January 14th, 2010

As I have always said the man that “fathered” me was my sperm donor, my real father, my Dad is the man that put the time and energy into being my father. Loving me unconditionally, advising me, putting band aids on my cuts, cuddling me when I awoke with a nightmare, teaching me to build decks and do an oil change. That man is my Dad. The man that is now married to my Mom. Nobody can tell me otherwise. Genetics and DNA have nothing to do with being a father or parent. This is why I love Seal so much.