By opening up about their struggles with raising kids with disabilities, Hollywood couples are now able to bring in more money to help with research and de-stigmatize what it means to deal with these challenges. In the world of social media celebs have become more vocal and more open about their challenges concerning their kids. Join us as we look at 25 celebrities with kids with disabilities.
John Travolta, Kelly Preston, and Their Autistic Son Jett Who Sadly Passed Away in 2009
Despite being a deeply rewarding experience, raising a child with a disability comes with a whole 'nother level of challenges. We applaud the celebrities who have put their egos aside and opened up about what it is to face these challenges. Especially in a world where celebrities are forced to be "perfect". Several famous people have come forward and shared what it is to have to deal with these aspects of life, which are truly out of your control.
One of these celebrities is John Travolta. Though he and his wife rarely speak of their son Jett's autism, the world grew to know just how serious it was when Jett passed away in 2009 at the young age of 16. Jett died after hitting his head while suffering a very intense seizure.
David and Victoria Beckham’s Son Romeo - “No Photo Is Worth Putting a Child’s Life in Danger”
The world became very aware of Romeo Beckham after Victoria yelled out to the paparazzi to stop taking photos of her son, Romeo due to his epilepsy. "He’s got epilepsy… all that flashing will start an epileptic fit… you can’t do that!" It was the first time the couple had said anything about their son, 4 years old at the time's condition. The news sent shock waves through the media which led to Splash News putting a moratorium on photographing the child or the Beckham family when they were all together.
“No photo is worth putting a child’s life in danger” Photo agency owner Kevin Smith added to the public announcement. Despite this being the first time anyone heard anything about the matter, people kept within the guidelines of photographing them where Romeo was present.
Joel McHale and His Wife Sarah - Raising Edward
They’ve been vocal about raising their oldest son Edward and the challenges they've faced surrounding his Autism Spectrum Disorder. “And he’ll be the first to tell you that. And then he would walk up to you and go, ‘Tell me about a time you got hurt.’ And then wait for your answer.” Edward has his special rhythm like most children with disabilities and as parents, you just learn to cope with it. Some days are, of course, harder than others.
“Life throws you all sorts of things. And the journey with the kids has not been a traditional one, because everyone else around us is doing more typical things. And I’m like, ‘Hey. It’s all good. Let’s see what happens.'” McHale went on to say that there is“no other choice” than to just love Edward and see what he wants to do.
Amanda Booth’s Son Lives With Autism and Down Syndrome
She has spent many years working hard to advocate for diversity and inclusion in media and fashion. "The only reason I ever thought I could be a model is because someone that looked like me was doing it. So how do we more broadly advocate for our kids? Let’s get them on TV.
Let’s put them in an advertisement so people with Down syndrome get to walk past storefronts and say, ‘Oh, that person looks like me, ‘I want to be a model too’, I want to shop here because I feel invited to.'” Booth's main goal is to try to get people more comfortable with different people instead of forcing themselves not to stare or whisper. We are all human with different looks and qualities that should be accepted and embraced.
Dougie Flutie Jr. , Son of Doug Flutie, Was Diagnosed With Autism as a Toddler
For those of you who don't know who this magnificent man is, he is a former NFL player who together with his wife, established a foundation to support families affected by ASD in honor of their son. "Dougie has taught us to keep our lives in the right perspective. He has taught us to take it one day at a time, don’t take anything for granted, and appreciate everything about life, especially the small things, but most especially he has taught us how to smile and be happy and look at every aspect of life in the most positive way possible."
The couple has made an effort to get people to understand the importance of using all types of struggles in life, and turn them into something positive.
Caterina Scorsone Learned the Importance of Community
Caterina Scorsone, famous for her role in Grey's Anatomy, has three daughters named Eliza, Pippa, and Arwen with whom she shares with her ex-husband, Rob Giles. Their middle daughter Pippa has Down syndrome. Scorsone and her family were initially fearful of the diagnosis before realizing that there is no “standard, objective perfect human being.
Scorsone went on to tell PEOPLE in an interview about her daughter's disabilities that"The metrics of perfection are arbitrary and imposed in the service of those who fit them. My daughter is perfect. Exactly the way she is.” After her daughter's diagnosis, Scorsone began to learn the most important thing in these situations and that is community. The love and support you receive is extremely helpful and makes it easier to cope with all the challenges.
Neil Young Has Had His Fair Share of Challenges
Young has two adult sons and both of them suffer from cerebral palsy. Ben is also nonverbal and a quadriplegic making things even more challenging at times. Neil Young has spent his fatherhood learning more about these conditions and has said that CP is not a disease but a condition of life.
“A lot of the things that we take for granted, that we can do, Ben can’t do, but his soul is there, and I’m sure that he has an outlook on the world that we don’t have because of the disabilities,” Young said in an interview with Rolling Stone. He has also understandably had many questions concerning why both have CP as Ben and Zeke have different mothers. "Peggy and I have been dealing with it and learned to turn it into a positive thing."
Rosie O'Donnell's Daughter Dakota Received Her Diagnosis as a Toddler
When she was diagnosed with autism O'Donnell shared it with the world in a candid personal essay she wrote for People about their journey. She put a lot of emphasis on how it has changed her life including her perspective on everything. "Dakota’s autism forces me to see the world from a completely different place. She’s a gift from another dimension. The things she knows — about sea anemones and tide pools. I got to 60 not knowing about the Mariana Trench.
She teaches me to be able to see the world as she does — for me, it’s been a wonderfully magical experience. I’m so glad we have each other.” Life might not always be easy for people raising children with disabilities, especially celebrities constantly being under scrutiny, but it's just something you adapt to.
Joe Mantegna - Raising Mia
His daughter Mia was diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorder when she was only 2 years old. "I remember it hit my wife and me like a ton of bricks because it was just a word we had heard about".The couple made it their life goal to support their daughter in any way they could. At first, they were reluctant to put Mia in a "normal" schooling system, but after some convincing they did. "That made us realize that we don’t have to buy into thinking the child has to be in a protected environment her whole life."
The teacher told the class: "She’s going to be a little different than the rest of you kids. She might start singing to herself, she might walk up to the blackboard, it doesn’t matter. She has Autism. And we’re all going to help her.”
Jenny McCarthy Has Been a Vocal Advocate for Research About Autism
Evan was also diagnosed at the age of two and McCarthy has received some backlash due to her belief that autism is linked to vaccines. According to "research" scientific evidence proves otherwise. Nevertheless, McCarthy has gone above and beyond trying to find answers to help make her son, along with everything else on the spectrum, as well as their family and friends understand the situation better.
“Evan couldn’t talk — now he talks. Evan couldn’t make eye contact — now he makes eye contact. Evan was antisocial — but now he makes friends. It was amazing to watch, over the course of doing this, how certain therapies work for certain kids and they completely don’t work for others.” she told Time in 2010.
Collin Farrell and Kim Bordenave's Son, James, Was Diagnosed With a Very Rare Disorder Known as Angelman Syndrome
It leaves the person completely incapable of caring for themselves and nonverbal on top of it. The couple has filed to become co-conservators of their son to help manage his medical and personal needs for the foreseeable future. Farrell believes it to be one of his life's greatest gifts in the form of education and proving unconditional love despite the heavy burden that comes with it at times.
"By his honesty, struggle, persistence, and personality, James brings out the best in people. He saved my life. I was on a destructive path. When I couldn’t make the changes in my life for myself, I made them for James. He gave me the reason to be a better man and father.” - Farrel said at the 2017 Power of Possibilities charity event.
Mia Farrow and Her 14 Kids
One of the most extensive celebrity experiences documented concerning children with disabilities must be Mia Farrow. Farrow had 14 children out of which 4 of them had serious disabilities. In 2016, her son, Thaddeus died after "suffering from a life-threatening injury" in his car. He had contracted polio as a young child in an Indian orphanage and was paralyzed from the waist down. Her other son, Moses Farrow, whom she adopted in South Korea was born with cerebral palsy, Frankie-Minh Farrow was blind when she adopted him from Vietnam, and Quincy Farrow had struggled as a newborn baby due to being exposed to drugs in his biological mother's womb.
Her home is open to children with special needs. Farrow's whole life evolves around them, but it was her son Ronan who summed it up perfectly. "My mother is a caregiver who raised her kids to never think about their limitations, only their possibilities."
Openly Talking About Special Needs Children Back in 1985 Was Certainly Not a Thing, but Sylvester Stallone Made It a Thing!
Stallone opened up to People magazine about his “silent son,” Seargeoh Stallone. It was a game-changer for the autism community and opened many doors for people to get the ball rolling about talking about the subject.
Sylvester and ex-wife Sasha Stallone set up a research fund to raise money for the National Society for Children and Adults With Autism in the hopes that people would start better understanding, and accepting people and parents who are dealing with these issues. “There is no real father-and-son thing there. I have to become his playmate. With a child like this, you have to put away your ego. You can’t force him into your world. I sort of go along with whatever he is doing.”
Actor Eddie Asner - Raising Matt
Ed Asner's son, grandchild, and two step-grandchildren have all been diagnosed with Autism spectrum disorder, also known as ASD for short. Ed Asner, who passed away in August 2021 at the age of 91, opened a center known as The Ed Asner Family Center. The center provides services and programs for people of all abilities and is run by Ed's son Matt Asner who is the center's CEO. Ed's son Charlie was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
It was his son’s condition that made Ed go out of his way to better understand the disorder and to help others in the same boat, as well as their families affected by the lack of knowledge that was available during the time. A lot has changed since and many of these celebrities are to thank for it.
Toni Braxton on Raising Diezel
Braxton shares her son with ex-husband Keri Lewis and the couple quickly put aside their differences to help their son in the best possible way. “My youngest son, as everyone knows, my son Diezel suffers from — or I should say suffered from autism. I am one of the lucky parents. Early diagnosis changes everything. I will tell you this. I will shout it from the rooftops.” she proudly told the world on the entertainment show, via Daily Mail.
Diezel went on to become a very successful model in the fashion industry. Toni Braxton alongside his ex-husband Keri Lewis quickly got involved with the Autism Speaksorganization to seek out programs to help him and provide the necessary support for their other family members too.
Brian Littrell, One of the Singers From the Boy Band, the Backstreet Boys’ Son, Baylee, Was 6 Years Old When He Got a Scary Diagnosis: Atypical Kawasaki Disease
This is the result of inflammation of the arteries which can cause heart attacks and blood clots in children and is sometimes fatal. In Littrell's early 20s, he underwent open heart surgery so he felt like he understood what his son was going through. Baylee spent several weeks in the hospital due to doctors not knowing exactly what was wrong with him.
Baylee's symptoms were slightly different from that of a textbook atypical Kawasaki Disease case. The family was under a lot of stress at that time. “You feel helpless as a parent because you’re relying on people who are educated about these things. It’s been an emotional roller coaster. Fans all over the world were praying for Baylee. We felt that love.”
Gren Grunberg, Famous for His Role in Heroes, Together With His Wife Elizabeth, Have Been to Hell and Back With Their Son Jake
Jake was diagnosed with epilepsy and it escalated fast to a very dangerous point. Jake was having up to 200 seizures per day and needed emergency brain surgery in the hopes of resolving these episodes. The surgery turned out to be successful and in the end, his seizures were managed by only medication.
"I’m a control freak, as we all are, especially for our kids, we want the best for them, and with something out of control like seizures, you want to do something. How can I make an impact in this community? And talking about it is what we need to do.” The situation forced the couple to become more open about it, and reach out to, and help others who share the same issues regarding their loved ones.
In 2007, Holly Robinson Peete Came Forward to Talk About Her Son RJ’s Autism Journey
Robinson's husband Rodney Peete was worried that their public frankness about his diagnosis would cause him harm in the future but it was quite the opposite. "We were scared the statement would limit his possibilities in life.” Instead, it opened up a whole world of communication with other families who were going through the same experiences, and who were all sharing a similar path.
"When I look back and see RJ, this strapping young man who’s 20 and has a job — he’s doing all these things that I was told he would never do. It really makes you emotional, because I can’t believe he’s come so far, and I’m still so blessed,” she told People in a 2018 follow-up interview. The whole event highlighted the importance of communicating and support within your community.
Jacqueline Laurita and Her Husband, Chris, Opened up About Their Son, Nicholas, Who Was Diagnosed With Autism
The Real Housewives of New Jersey star Jacqueline Laurita and her husband, Chris, opened up about their son, Nicholas, who was autistic from the beginning. Fans on Bravo TV were there with them watching it all unfold and showing immense support for the couple. Despite not being on the show anymore, Laurita still keeps her fans updated about his progress regularly.
"I love having the opportunity to be able to show people what it’s like to live with autism because honestly, what’s given me strength is listening to everyone else’s stories, their struggles, their successes. That’s what gives us hope and strength, so if I can do that for someone else, then it feels so good to me,” she told Bravo’s The Daily Dish. The key factor is sharing your experiences in the hope of helping others.
Gary Cole and His Daughter Mary’s Autism-Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis at 18 Months Old - His Crusade to Seek Answers
Gary Cole has often called his daughter Mary’s autism-spectrum disorder diagnosis, his crusade to seek answers. She was diagnosed at 18 months old and her father's voice has raised a lot of awareness about children with special needs. "People with autism, I don’t like to think of it as a disability, I like to think of it as another way of thinking or perceiving. And I felt my job was to try to perceive everything on some level through her eyes so I could know what it was like to walk in her shoes.”
His daughter Mary was diagnosed with autism in 1995 and Cole encourages parents to "seek answers, and the earlier the better." It’s of utmost importance to follow your gut as a parent when you feel something isn't right. The sooner the child is diagnosed, the sooner the recovery and adaptation to a new life can begin.
One of the Most Difficult Parts of Having Your Child Diagnosed With a Disability Is the Part Where You Mourn the Big Dreams You Had for Their Future
As parents, we often feel like we are in control of our children's journeys forward when in fact, we have zero control over anything. Tisha Campbell has always dreamed big for her son. After Xen was diagnosed with autism early on in his life, things drastically changed. She took it in her stride and opened up about the struggles.
"As a mother of a child who had to go through specific struggles, you want the best for them, but when you get this particular diagnosis you have to retrain your brain to think of your dreams and aspirations when it comes to your child to be a little bit more basic. You don’t have time to feel guilty, you don’t have time to feel sorry for him, for yourself, or your family — it’s time to get down and busy."
John C. McGinley, Former Chicago P. D. Star, Thought He Had Navigated the Course of Down Syndrome With His Son, Max, Fairly Well Until He Remarried and Had Two Daughters
Billie and Kate came with his second wife, Nichole Kessler. After having three kids in the house, he realized that everything he knew about parenting had to be thrown out the window and relearned. "Billie’s biggest strength is language. She’s extraordinarily verbal, and Max’s biggest challenge is his lack of spoken language.
He can read at a certain level and do arithmetic, but he doesn’t form sentences. So parenting Max and parenting Billie represent two polar opposites on the spoken-word spectrum. How we parent them in the same household and find a happy middle has been really interesting and continues to be." The whole thing was a massive game-changer and both parents quickly learned to adapt.
Laura San Giacomo, Who Starred in Just Shoot Me, Had No Information, Idea, or Blueprint on How to Raise a Kid With Cerebral Palsy
Understanding her son Mason’s special needs with impaired motor function changed her perspective on life. She realized that the world wasn't too kind to children, nor to parents of children with disabilities, they often shun them. "We don’t have a constructive or positive view of disability really around the world. But what would happen if the doctor said to you, instead of these ridiculously heartbreaking predictions, which are so often not true, why don’t they say to you, ‘Look, this is the greatest gift you’re going to be given.’”, she told Oprah Winfrey’s Where Are They Now?
It was very discouraging for the star at first to learn that human nature instinctively chooses to avoid certain topics that made them feel uncomfortable, that which they did not understand, like disabilities.
Christopher Gorham and His Wife Had to Wait a Long Time for Their Son’s Diagnosis
The famous actor’s son, Lucas, has Asperger’s syndrome, but he and his wife, Anel Lopez, didn’t have an official diagnosis until he was in elementary school. The star of One Night in Miami opened up about his immense challenges dealing with a child with a disability.
"We got a diagnosis fairly late. He was 9 years old, which is kind of the blessing and the curse of that diagnosis. Because he’s very high-functioning we didn’t know that something was off until later. It’s upsetting to hear that something is wrong with your child. At the same time, it’s a relief to know what’s wrong with your child because if you know what’s wrong then you can start to take steps to help them.”