Kristin Chenoweth opens up about the powerful message her adoptive parents always told her
Kristin Chenoweth has opened up about the powerful message her adoptive parents repeated throughout her childhood.
The Broadway star, who originated the role of Glinda in Wicked, was adopted by Junie and Jerry Chenoweth when she was just five days old.
Raised in Oklahoma, Chenoweth has never shied away from discussing her adoption and the close bond she shares with the couple who brought her home.
That relationship was at the centre of her recent social media post on her Instagram, marking the 58th anniversary of her adoption.
Advert
The celebrity actor shared a series of family photos taken over the years, including moments backstage at her Broadway shows, at her annual performance programme and during her 2023 wedding to musician Josh Bryant.
However, as delightful as the Instagram gallery is, it was the simple explanation her parents gave her as a child that left the biggest impression.
As reported by the Daily Mail, Chenoweth revealed they would tell her: “We chose you.”
Reflecting on the phrase in a previous essay for WhoSay — part of celebrating Adoption Day back in 2015 — she wrote: “Growing up, my parents explained my adoption by telling me, ‘We chose you.’ It was a wonderful way to put it to an adopted child. And I think it’s true. An adoption is a full-circle blessing.”
The 58-year-old has said she always knew she had been adopted, explaining that it was never hidden from her or treated as something she should feel uncomfortable discussing.
She also believes her biological mother’s decision was made out of love.
Chenoweth wrote: “I knew that my birth mother loved me so much that she wanted to give me a better life.”
“And my parents, Jerry and Junie Chenoweth, were looking to adopt a baby and found me — literally less than one week after I was born.”
Chenoweth returned to the subject while celebrating what she proudly called her “GOTCHA DAY”.
She noted that the term was ‘not just for pets’ and described it as ‘the day my parents brought me home 58 years ago and I became a Chenoweth.’
“I’m so blessed and grateful for this beautiful life they gave me,” she continued. “I love you mom and dad!!”
Although Chenoweth has learned some information about her biological family, she has made clear where her strongest sense of family lies.
“I have discovered a little bit about my biological parents and each piece of information helps me, but ultimately I tell people: ‘I have my parents.’”
She added: “If anything, I would thank my birth mother for loving me enough to make such a huge sacrifice. It’s a great gift for me to be able to say: ‘I know that I came from love, and I know that I have love.’”
Chenoweth has also said she would ‘100 percent’ choose adoption herself if she became a parent.
However, she explained that mentoring young people has already allowed her to play an important role in many children’s lives.
She said: “But I have a lot of kids in my life who I love and mentor…So, in a way, I feel like I’ve done it, even though I don’t have a child who lives with me.”
Topics: Entertainment, Celebrity, Social Media
Ben Williams