Celebrities who grew up in foster care

Actors, musicians, sportspeople. It might seem surprising, but once upon a time, some of these people were once in foster care themselves.

Here at Beacon Fostering, we believe that the past experiences of foster children are not definitive of their futures. Foster carers can provide support, inspiration and motivation for their charges’ future lives and careers.

Here are some public figures who spent some or all of their childhoods in foster care.

Cher

Singer, actor and media personality Cher entered foster care after her parents divorced when she was young and her mother struggled to look after her, due to the combination of ill health and financial struggles.

Despite the trauma arising from this time in her life, she says that this never stopped her from achieving her dreams.

Marilyn Monroe

The star of Some Like It Hot and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, born Norma Jeane Mortenson, went to live with the Bolender family as a youngster, since her mother Gladys was struggling financially.

From ages eight until 16, she lived in various foster homes, including that of a family friend and an orphanage.

Seal

This British soul artist, best known for his 1994 track ‘Kiss From a Rose’, was raised by a foster family for the first four years of his life, before returning to his birth parents.

Simone Biles

Dubbed the ‘GOAT’ (greatest of all time) of gymnastics, Olympic gold medal winner Biles had a turbulent start to life.

She lived with various foster families alongside her younger sister until their grandparents adopted them when she was six. She credits them with her successes in life.

At Beacon Fostering, we make it our mission to support all types of families throughout the foster care process.