Why Millie Bobby Brown decided to adopt as actress welcomes second child with Jake Bongiovi
Millie Bobby Brown and her husband Jake Bongiovi have expanded their family further by adopting another child.
On Thursday (17 September), they confirmed the news of their second baby, sharing a photograph of a tiny hand on Instagram with the caption: “Hi little guy!”
Adorably, Brown is shown to be wearing a glitzy ring which reads 'Mom' on it.
A source told People that they welcomed their second child through adoption.
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The Stranger Things actress, 22, and Bongiovi, 24, announced the arrival of their first child, a daughter, through adoption in August 2025.
The couple - who tied the knot in May 2024 - shared a sweet social post at the time, saying: “This summer, we welcomed our sweet baby girl through adoption. We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in both peace and privacy.”
Childhood dreams of adoption
The Enola Holmes star previously revealed that adoption had been part of her idea of family since she was a child.
Speaking to Kylie Kelce on the Not Gonna Lie podcast in June, Brown explained that she had ‘always wanted to adopt’.
She traced the idea back to her childhood, when she would play with baby dolls.
“It was always part of my childhood dreams,” Brown said.
“Every time I was at home and I was, you know, five, six years old, my parents were like, ‘You had your baby dolls.’ They were all adopted.”
She added that she ‘never pretended I was pregnant’.
Brown went on to say that her decision was also influenced by what she learned while studying social work.
“I loved the aspect of adoption in my social work courses,” she said, describing it as ‘so meaningful and important’.
Brown also explained that during her studies she also got to learn about the experiences of birth mothers, which encouraged her and Bongiovi to think carefully about what adoption would mean.
“So for me, my husband and I took a lot of time to focus on what that story and what that journey looks like,” she said. “And then we embarked [on] it.”
Future biological children
Brown has also been keen to stress that adopting her children does not mean she has ruled out having biological children in future.
During the same podcast appearance, she said: “It's not because I don't want that. Hopefully one day that's in my future.”
For her, the two possibilities are not mutually exclusive.
“Adoption is love, adoption is forever,” Brown added.
In a December 2025 interview with British Vogue, the 22-year-old said of her daughter: “She’s taught us so much already. Perspective is a huge thing.
“The smaller things in life are so much more precious. Our days are filled with lots of cuddles and laughter and love, it’s just endless joy.”
The couple are also fiercely protective of their children’s privacy.
Their daughter’s name has not been publicly revealed, and they have avoided sharing clear photographs of her face.
“For me, it’s really important to protect her and her story until she’s old enough to potentially one day share it herself,” Brown told Vogue. “It’s not my place to purposefully put her in the spotlight unwillingly. If she chooses to share her personality one day with the world, like I did when I was young, that’s something we’d support.”
She added: “But right now, as she’s so little…
“As her parents, it’s our job to protect her from that.”
As their family grows, the couple appears determined to keep the focus on their children rather than the celebrity surrounding their lives, but Brown has been keen to use her platform for good to raise awareness of adoption and the possibilities involved.
Topics: Celebrity, Millie Bobby Brown, Entertainment, Parenting
Jen Thomas