Big celebrity families
By Deborah Netburn and Emily Christianson
Before there was Angelina there was Mia Farrow. Downy haired and freckle faced, the actress was adopting kids from foreign locals when Miss Jolie was still in diapers. Over the years Farrow has amassed a brood that totals 14. With her first husband Andrew Previn she adopted three children and birthed 3 children. With long time life partner Woody Allen she adopted two children and birthed one. And then she adopted five additional children as a sole parent. Plus, several of her children have disabilities that make them “difficult to place” in adoption speak. Take that Jolie! (Emile Wamsteker / AP)
Mel Gibson’s conservative Catholic views are widely known. Considering the church’s views on birth control, it should come as no surprise that Gibson’s family is larger than the typical Hollywood star’s - six sons and one daughter. He’s not finished yet. Gibson and his girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, (he separated from his wife, Robyn, of 28 years in April 2009) are expecting a baby in December. Now, he calls himself “Octo-Mel.” (Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP/Getty Images)
Though his annual muscular dystrophy telethon raises millions each year for “Jerry’s Kids,” Jerry Lewis’ real life kids have gotten much less attention. He has six sons, the oldest is 62. With his second wife he had one daughter, born in 1992. (Masahiko Yamamoto / AP)
Eddie Murphy, third from left, with unidentified family members, had five children with his wife of 13 years. He also has two sons from two previous relationships. After his divorce in 2006, he briefly dated former Spice Girl Melanie Brown, who got pregnant and claimed Murphy was the father. Murphy eventually conceded that he was the father, making the girl his eighth child. (Hector Mata AFP/Getty Images)
In some cultures having a ton of children and being able to care for all of them is a sign of power. In modern day Los Angeles it’s a sign of affluence. So it should come as no surprise that Steven Spielberg (shown with daughter Sasha) one of the most powerful and richest of Hollywood’s major players has seven kids. In typical LA fashion the large family is not conventional: he’s got one biological kid from an early marriage to Amy Irving, three biological kids with current wife Kate Capshaw, two kids that he adopted with Capshaw and one step daughter. Sprawling! (Mark J. Terrill / AP)
Jerry Lee Lewis had six wives and six kids. Rock & Roll baby! (Mogens Flindt / EPA)
