Millie Bobby Brown opens with one of the biggest dreams she has had since childhood: becoming a mother through adoption. The “Enola Holmes 3” star got candid during an appearance on “Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce,” where she reflected on building a family with husband Jake Bongiovi and why adoption was always part of her vision for the future. Brown and Bongiovi first announced in August 2025 that they had welcomed a baby girl through adoption, later requesting privacy as they entered parenthood.
Millie Bobby Brown says adoption was always part of the plan
For Brown, adoption was never a backup plan. In fact, it was something she had dreamed of since a young age.
“I always wanted to adopt,” Brown shared on Thursday’s podcast episode. “It was always part of my childhood dreams. Every time I was home and I was, you know, 5 or 6 years old, my parents would say to me, ‘You had your dolls.’ They were all adopted. I’ve never had one myself. And I never claimed I was pregnant.
At the same time, Brown made it clear that she still hopes to have children of her own one day. “It’s not because I don’t want this. I hope that one day it will be in my future,” she explained.
Still, the actress emphasized how adoption remains deeply meaningful to her: “Adoption is love, adoption is forever. »
Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi took their time with the process
Brown also revealed that she and Bongiovi thought carefully about what the adoption journey would look like before expanding their family.
Before becoming a full-time actress, Brown said she first studied social work and then switched to veterinary medicine, a path that further shaped her perspective on adoption. “I loved the aspect of adoption in my social work classes…it’s so meaningful and important,” she said.
The actress explained that learning more about birth mothers and the adoption experience helped shape the couple’s approach.
“I’ve also learned about what it’s like, you know, talking and reading a lot about being a birth mother and what that journey is like,” Brown explained. “So for me, my husband and I took a lot of time to focus on this story and what this journey is like. And then we jumped into it.”
The couple kept their daughter’s life private
Since welcoming their daughter, Brown and Bongiovi have intentionally kept much of their family life out of the spotlight. The couple has not publicly revealed their daughter’s name or shown her face online.
When announcing the adoption last year, the couple shared a heartfelt statement. “This summer we welcomed our adorable baby girl through adoption,” they wrote at the time. “We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in peace and privacy.”
Brown says his mother became his parental ‘911’
As Brown continues to adjust to life as a mother, she recently admitted that being a parent comes with plenty of unexpected moments and a few panicked calls to her own mother. The Enola Holmes 3 actress opened up about motherhood in a UNICEF video shared June 1 as part of the organization’s “My Parenting Journey” series.
Brown, who is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, revealed that some of her biggest parental worries come when her daughter does something unusual. “They do something and you wonder, ‘Is this normal? Are they doing this?'” Brown shared.
Like many new parents, the actress admitted that she often turns to her family for reassurance. “And you know, I’ll call my [mom]. She’s like my 911.”[Mom]did I do that? Did my brothers and sisters do this?’ ” Brown said.
Luckily, her mother usually has a calming response ready. “And she says, ‘Oh, that’s totally normal. They do that all the time.'”
Millie Bobby Brown says motherhood brought unexpected judgment
Even though Brown embraced motherhood, she admitted that the experience was criticized by other women as well.
“I was like, ‘This is vicious. You’re vicious,'” Brown said of some of the reactions she’s received since becoming a mom. “And I don’t have time for angry women who just feel the need to put you down, especially when it comes to motherhood. I’ve never experienced anything like that.”
The actress previously discussed her first Mother’s Day while speaking to Extra in May, emphasizing that any form of motherhood is worth celebrating.
“We’re all mothers, and it doesn’t matter if we’re adoptive mothers, biological mothers or, you know, whatever, like a mother figure,” Brown said. “Everyone should be celebrated. Everyone is raising beautiful children, hopefully, and we’re raising the next generation. So, of course, women should be celebrated in every way and every day.”