On 21 August, Millie Bobby Brown and her husband Jake Bongiovi announced they have welcomed their first child together. A year after they got married in Italy, the pair adopted a daughter, though further details have been kept private.
'This summer, we welcomed our sweet baby girl through adoption,' she wrote on Instagram. 'We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in both peace and privacy.'
Given that the Stranger Things star is only 21 years old, the news that she was getting married caused a stir online, let alone the news that she has adopted a child. 'Millie Bobby Brown is married and adopted a child at 21... I need to get my life together,' joked one user on X. It's unsurprising, then, that nosy fans want to know why the couple decided to adopt.
Why did Millie Bobby Brown decide to adopt?
According to internet sleuths, Millie has been dropping hints about her plans to start a family for several months. During a podcast interview in March, she even revealed that she wants a big family and doesn't view adopted babies as any different from biological ones.
'I'm still really young,' she said. 'My mum actually had her first child when she was 21, and my dad was 19. It's been my thing before I met Jake. Since I was a baby, I told my mum I wanted to be a mum just like my mum was to me.'
'I really want a family. I want a big family,' she continued. 'I'm one of four, he's one of four. So it is definitely in our future.' Millie then added, 'For me, I don't see having your own child as really any different as adopting. My home is full of love for anyone or anything. And so, that is what we kind of stand by. The energy in our house is the door is always open, and we want everyone to feel comfortable.'
'We're very much, like, we're always going to be wanting to start a family. It doesn't matter in what way or when, but it will happen.'
In a 2023 interview with Glamour, Millie also explained that her desire for a big family is what spurred her on to achieve as much as possible in her career at a young age. 'It's like – I know I should make this movie now. I know I should write this book now. I know I should do this now.'
'It's not because I can't do it in 10 years; of course I can do it in 10 years,' she went on. 'But why, when I know that it's going to work now? Just like Florence will be there in 10 years. You'll be able to see my movie in 10 years on TV. And I know that Jake and I will be okay. It's like, why wait? Let's go for it.'
As she said in her own words, it's evidently in Millie's nature to adopt. The actress – who is rumoured to be in contention to play Britney Spears in the upcoming biopic – previously told Vogue she has rescued more than 230 dogs and has been associated with the rescue organisation Joey's Friends. Apparently, she has personally looked after 62 rescue pets, including dogs and farm animals, so she definitely likes to keep a busy house.
Nikki Peach is a writer at Grazia UK, working across entertainment, TV and news. She has also written for the i, i-D and the New Statesman Media Group and covers all things pop culture for Grazia (treating high and lowbrow with equal respect).