6. Clark Gable
Clark Gable is an American acting legend often referred to as “The King of Hollywood”. He was born in Ohio on February 1, 1901. He quit high school at the age of 16 to pursue acting. He eventually married his acting coach who helped him break into the Hollywood scene. He acted in various movies and eventually attained his status as a legend in the 1930s. He then starred in famous movies including It Happened One Night and Gone With The Wind.
While he was filming in 1935, he had an affair with fellow actor Loretta Young. The baby, Judy, was given to an orphanage for adoption to avoid the scandal of being an unwed mother. However, Loretta then went back to the orphanage and adopted Judy back. Clark only ever met Judy once, and the two didn’t maintain a relationship. Clark Gable died in 1960 after suffering a heart attack.
7. Lucille Ball
Lucille BallYou may know Lucille Ball from her sitcom I Love Lucy. She was working as a model, comedian, and actress when she met Desi Arnaz and the two eloped in 1940. In 1951, Ball and Arnaz created one of the most loved sitcoms in television history, I Love Lucy. Lucille and Desi divorced, and Ball went on to marry Gary Morton in 1960. On April 26, 1989, Lucille Ball died from a ruptured aorta. In 2014, a woman named Cassandria Carlson came forward claiming the Lucille Ball was her grandmother.
Carlson claimed that she was given her up for adoption in 1947 by Ball. Carlson’s mother, Linda Jane Dee would have been born four years before the debut of I Love Lucy. Carlson said she has memories during her early childhood of a red-headed woman called Mrs. Morton coming to visit her house and playing cards or taking her to the playground. She has been trying to get DNA samples to prove her claims but relatives of the Ball-Arnaz family have rejected all attempts.
8. Ted Nugent
Ted Nugent is most known for being a musician, but he’s also known in many circles as one of America’s most outspoken political activists. He is a proponent of our first and Second Amendment rights. Ted Nugent originally gained fame when he was the lead guitarist of the band, Amboy Dukes. He eventually left the band to embark on his own solo career.
It was when Nugent was out on his own that he became known as a guitar hero to many fans. Along with his pro-gun and pro-freedom views, he also advocated against drug and alcohol abuse. In Ted Nugget’s earlier years, he and his girlfriend gave up a son, also named Ted, and a daughter named Louisa for adoption. The siblings were adopted separately and did not learn about each other until 2010 when Louisa wanted to make contact with her brother and her birth father. They have since reconciled.
9. Mercedes Ruehl
I had no idea who Mercedes Ruehl was when I saw her name, but apparently, she is quite the actress. One of her most well know movies, The Fisher King earned her an Oscar, a Golden Globe, Saturn Award, American Comedy Award, BSFC Award, CFCA Award, LAFCA Award and a Pasinetti Award. That’s a lot of awards! Mercedes had a heart for adoption, so she ended up adopting her son Jake.
It turns out that Mercedes’ interest in adoption stems from the fact that she gave up a son for adoption when she was 28 years old. She didn’t feel she was mature enough to raise him and knew she wasn’t financially secure enough to support a baby. 33 years later, she hired a private investigator to help her find the son she gave up for adoption, Christopher. The two were reunited immediately after learning about each other and they now have a great relationship.
10. David Crosby
David Crosby was born in 1941 and is a talented singer and songwriter. He helped found several bands including The Byrds and Crosby, Stills, and Nash, and also had a solo career. Crosby has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He also has several albums listed on the Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Crosby had quite the wild past when he was younger. He even spent several months in prison for drug charges.
In 1962, he also had a biological son, James Raymond, who was placed for adoption. The two were happily reunited when James Raymond was an adult. It turns out the two had several similarities when they reunited. James Raymond is also a talented musician. He played so well that he has performed on stage with Crosby and has done work in the studio with him as well.
