13 Celebs You Didn't Know Were Adopted

Adoption is a beautiful thing when you really think about it. It's all about giving a child the cozy, comfortable, and loving home that they deserve, no matter what they've been through and no matter who they are. We probably never realize that although celebrities seem to live on a higher plane than the rest of us (or at least a much richer one), they can be adopted, too. Just because someone's famous definitely doesn't mean their life is total perfection, although we have to remind ourselves of that fact on a regular basis. Here are 13 celebs that you had no idea were adopted. Some of them might surprise you, and you'll definitely look at adoption in a whole new light. Although these celebs definitely had some rough childhoods, and probably will always wonder who their birth parents are, they've managed to be super successful despite that.

13 Bill Clinton

Did you know that the former President was adopted? Well, now you do. Technically, it's a super unique story and wasn't as simple as him being adopted by total and complete strangers. Bill did have parents, but his dad tragically died. His mom left and he was raised from some other relatives. Later, his mom came back and remarried, and Bill's new stepdad legally adopted him. Phew. Got all that? Can you imagine walking out on your baby and then realizing later that, um, he became President?

12 Faith Hill

The country star was adopted because her mom slept with a guy who was already someone's husband. Oops. Looks like things worked out for her, though: she might just be the most famous mainstream female country singer out there, or at least one of them.

11 Kristin Chenoweth

The adorable Wicked star with the huge voice was adopted. In 2015, she wrote a sweet and inspiring letter for National Adoption Day and she said, "I knew that my birth mother loved me so much that she wanted to give me a better life." That's exactly what most women who give up their children for one reason or another want their kids to know, so it's nice that she didn't harbor any bad feelings or resentment about the whole deal. She says her adopted mom and dad said "We chose you."

10 Nicole Richie

If you think that Lionel Richie is the reality star turned fashion designer's real dad, think again. He was actually a friend of her fam, and when she was nine years old, he made the adoption official. He's basically the only father she's ever known, though, because he started looking after her when she was only a toddler.

9 Marilyn Monroe

The beautiful, curvy actress was adopted and it's a super tragic story, which unfortunately isn't all that surprising, since she had a super tragic life (and death, as well). She actually had the roughest time you could possibly imagine growing up and was moved from one foster home to another. She even was in an orphanage for a time. Talk about sad. She probably took all that emotional pain and used it for her acting, because she was definitely a talent and a really interesting role model for women.

8 Jamie Foxx

The actor was adopted by his grandma, and is probably super grateful to her for that, since we all know how terrible the foster care system can be (seriously, just watch any episode of the cheesy yet amazing drama The Fosters). Although he didn't have his mom and dad around, he still had a super strong foundation, especially since now he's done so well for himself. His grandma is definitely proud, we can safely say.

7 J.C. Chasez

Remember him? You know, from NSYNC? He hasn't really been in the public eye since, but either way, he was adopted. It's a pretty nuts story. Basically, his mom was raised by foster parents, and she decided her son should go live with them instead. She wanted a better life for him. Well, he got it, since he became a famous boy band star.

6 Snooki

Yup, the Jersey Shore reality star was adopted when she was only six years old. Snooki is her nickname and her real name is Nicole Polizzi. She lived in NYC and New Jersey. Naturally. Maybe if she wasn't adopted, we wouldn't have that gem of a reality show, so we should probably be super grateful.

5 Dave Thomas

The late founder of fast food chain Wendy's was always a super sweet public face of the company, not to mention an adorable staple of almost every commercial. He was actually adopted, so he's yet another example of a person who took his tragedy in life and made sure he could not only be successful, but help others as well. He created a foundation to help children like him who were adopted, called The Dave Thomas Foundation For Adoption.

4 John Lennon

The late Beatles singer was raised by his aunt and uncle. That must have been super tough, but again, he probably used that pain for his beautiful and inspiring music. Since it's pretty easy to say that The Beatles changed the world, or at least the world of popular music, he still left an incredible legacy behind him.

3 Melissa Gilbert

The Little House On The Prairie actress was adopted and it was a pretty interesting story. Basically, when she was born, her parents gave her up, and then literally the next day a super creative guy adopted her. His name was Paul Gilbert (so that's where she gets her last name, obviously) and he was an actor and also a comedian. Sounds like it was a good idea since she became an actress. Now she's actually in politics, too, which is super cool.

2 Eric Clapton

This adoption tale might be the craziest one you've ever heard. The singer had no idea he was adopted for the longest time. He was raised by his grandma and grandpa… but until he was a teenager, he actually thought they were his mother and father. Yup, really. He was then told that, oh yeah, that person you thought was your sister this whole time? She's actually your mother. Talk about having your mind completely blown. How do you even recover from something like that?

1 Steve Jobs

Quite possibly the most famous celebrity adoption out there. The late Steve Jobs didn't feel unloved and often said in interviews that his adopted parents were basically his mom and dad, no question about it. That's really the dream scenario. Basically, without Steve, we wouldn't even be writing this article and you couldn't even read it. So adopted kids, take note: if you're adopted, you can invent a bunch of amazing tech products and basically change the world forever. No pressure, though.