Sandra Bullock Gives The Reason She Thinks More People Should Consider Adoption

Dec 13, 2021

Sandra Bullock has been a working actress in the entertainment industry since the late 1980s and has also worked as a producer during her impressive and long-lasting career. She is an eclectic actress and doesn’t really fit into just one genre, since her talents are so unique and diverse. From suspenseful thrillers to romantic comedies, Bullock has starred in a wide variety of films and television shows. Some of her most notable films include “Miss Congeniality,” “Ocean’s 8” and “Bird Box.”

From a young age, Bullock showed a lot of promise as a smart and successful woman in the entertainment industry, as she pursued her passions both academically and during her personal time. Her impact on the industry has captured the attention of many fans and critics, and the star has earned herself quite the collection of awards and accolades. Along with this, Bullock also has a great selection of celebrity friends and has also found romance during her time in the spotlight.

One of her most notable roles has been off-screen as she is a mother of two children. She adopted her son Louis Bardo Bullock in 2010 and her daughter Laila Bullock in 2015. At 57, this actress has fallen in love with being a mother to her kids and has gotten incredibly emotional just thinking about how lucky she is to have such a wonderful life with them. While she has worked to keep their lives as private as possible, Bullock has always made sure to talk about just how much she loves and adores her two children.

During an appearance on "The Kelly Clarkson Show" last week, Bullock opened up about her appreciation of the foster care and adoption system and said that more people should be open to it. 

Bullock, 57, is one of the most recognized actresses in the world but she keeps her children out of the spotlight. In 2018, while speaking to "TODAY"’s Hoda Kotb to promote "Ocean’s 8," a movie where she played the lead among a star-studded cast, she talked candidly about her real-life role as "Mom." Bullock shared that her kids are her number one priority. She said:

“Everything is about them being ok, being in school, having what they need, their moments — I need to be there for every single moment that they have.”

The mom of two added that it is harder for her to be away from the kids than it is for them when they are apart, but revealed that since adopting her first child Louis, she doesn’t leave home nor work as much anymore. “I told them where they could go to college,” said Bullock, who is admittedly a clingy mom. “I said, ‘These are the places where I feel comfortable living, so you have these choices.’”

Bullock adopted her son Louis Bardo Bullock in 2010. According to Closer Weekly, he is now 11 years old. However, the process of becoming his mother did not happen overnight, as many people who adopt can confirm. Before she met Louis, Bullock had nearly given up her dream of becoming a mother when she reached her early forties. 

“And then (Hurricane) Katrina happened,” Bullock said as she fought back tears.”Katrina happened in New Orleans and I knew. Just something told me that my child was there. It was weird.”  

Whether or not it was a gut feeling or a “God feeling,” Bullock said they are “one and the same.” 

Thus began the process of filling out forms, being judged, and being in the spotlight which the "Bird Box" actress described as “awkward.” A few years later, Louis officially became her son and her life changed forever.

“It was three, four years later but then I looked at him and said ‘Oh, there you are,’” Bullock recalled. “It’s like he’d always been there. It’s like he fit in the crook of my arm, he looked me in the eyes … and he was wise. My child was wise.”

Louis became the front and center of Bullock’s life and she dedicated whatever time she had to her little boy. She had no plans to adopt another child until something happened one night during a dinner with her close friends. 

One of Bullock's girlfriends was talking about her daughters when Louis chimed in all of a sudden and said, “Yeah, I don’t have daughters.” Bullock shared that he went on and said: “I don’t have a daughter but I’m going to have a baby soon.” Bullock was shocked and told her friends that she swore that she had no plans to adopt again. 

“And I realized at that time maybe he knew something,” Bullock revealed. “And when I think about it, it would have been around the time that Laila was born.” 

“Is it coincidence? What is it? It’s Louis’ way,” Bullock said. “Louis has a very strong way. He’s a fine leader and he led me to Laila.” 

In 2015, she became a mom again when she adopted her daughter, Laila Bullock. In May 2020, Bullock and Laila appeared in an episode of Jada Pinkett Smith's Facebook Watch talk show, "Red Table Talk" and saluted the heroic moms who helped to keep the country safe, healthy and fed during the current pandemic. 

Bullock added that she hoped that telling her story, it will let people know that “there is no endgame.” “There are hundreds and thousands of children that are ready to be your child. You are a forever parent the minute you accept the love of that child,” she said.

Despite being an Academy-award-winning actress, Bullock believes that her true calling is to be a mother. She said: "Being a mom, I finally realize ‘Oh this is what I was supposed to do when I grow up. Not be an actress, to be a mom.’"

“I felt that calling at a very young age but I had to become the mom that I was supposed to be for the kids that were waiting for me.” 

In Dec. 2018, Bullock sat down with Kotb once again to talk about the themes of motherhood in her horror film “Bird Box.” Her son had been incredibly interested in learning about people’s fears while on set, and Bullock revealed that her worst fear was something bad happening to her kids. “They know I worry all the time,” Bullock said. 

Bullock's most recent movie, "The Unforgivable" also got the actress thinking about motherhood. But this time the film made her think about adoption and the foster care system. Last week the actress appeared on Kelly Clarkson's talk show to promote the movie and their interview took a wonderfully chaotic albeit very funny turn. They talked about everything from musical abilities and Bullock's parents being dead to therapy and forgiveness. While there were some serious moments, the entire interview was full of a lot of laughs, thanks to misunderstandings between the two women.  

But while they spoke about "The Unforgivable" the actress opened up about adoption and the foster care system. She said she hoped that the movie would spark more discussions about these topics. She said:

“If it wasn’t for adoption and foster care, I wouldn’t have my family, so this film really struck a chord in that there are millions upon millions of babies and children on this planet that have no one to love — that have no one to let them know they are the most amazing thing when they walk in a room."

She added:

"There are millions upon millions of adults that wish they could be a parent.” 

During another appearance on "Red Table Talk" earlier this month, the Oscar winner opened up about the trauma that Laila experienced while in the foster care system. She said, “I had my kids in my closet with their little beds because I was afraid to not have them super close to me." She added:

“I would walk in and I wouldn’t be able to find her. She’d be in the closet with all her clothes on, she’d be on a bookshelf, she’d be hiding and ready to leave. She was always telling me she was leaving."

But Bullock's partner late Bryan Randall knew that the little girl just needed more time to adjust. Bullock said:

“My partner said to me, when she’s been with us longer then she hasn’t been, I have a feeling we’re going to see a change. You love by leaning in and hugging and holding and letting them know that you aren to going anywhere.”     

Tragically, Randall passed away on Aug. 5, 2023, after a long battle with ALS or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, as reported by People.

What do you think about Sandra Bullock's opinions on adoption and the foster care system? If this touched your heart, be sure to pass it along to someone who you think might be inspired by it.