Millie Bobby Brown has spoken candidly about her future family plans, revealing that adoption had been a lifelong dream while confirming she still hopes to carry a biological child one day, a year after she and husband Jake Bongiovi welcomed their daughter through adoption.
The 22-year-old Stranger Things star appeared on Kylie Kelce’s Not Gonna Lie podcast this week, where she explained that adoption had been part of her childhood ambitions long before she became a parent. “Always, always wanted to adopt,” she said. “It was always part of my childhood dreams. Every time I was at home and I was, you know, five, six years old, my parents were like, ‘You had your baby dolls. They were all adopted.’ I never had any of them myself. And I never pretended I was pregnant.”
Brown was clear that her path to adoption did not rule out future biological children. “It’s not because I don’t want that,” she said. “Hopefully one day that’s in my future.”
The actress credited her studies for shaping how she and Bongiovi approached parenthood. “I loved the aspect of adoption in my social work courses… so meaningful and important,” she said. “And then I also learned about being a birth mother and what that journey is. So for me, my husband and I took a lot of time to focus on what that story and what that journey looks like. And then we embarked on it.”
The couple, who married in October 2024, announced the adoption in August 2025, writing on social media: “This summer, we welcomed our sweet baby girl through adoption. We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in peace and privacy.” Speaking to Kelce, Brown described the experience of becoming a parent as “going from black and white to color.”
Brown and Bongiovi have kept their daughter’s name and face private, but fans have speculated the baby may be named Ruth, after spotting a small nameplate necklace in a recent social media post. The name holds particular significance for Brown, having belonged to her late grandmother, who she has previously said played a major role in her life. Eagle-eyed followers also pointed to an earlier post from last August, in which Brown was seen holding a phone case bearing the initials “RWB.”
On Thursday, Brown shared a new glimpse into her family life on Instagram, posting a carousel of images including herself holding her daughter’s hand on a ride at Universal Orlando Resort, the toddler splashing in a paddling pool wearing a blue life vest, and a close-up of Bongiovi kissing their daughter’s cheek — all with the child’s face kept out of frame. The post, captioned “my family ✨,” attracted more than one million likes from her 70 million followers.
Reflecting on turning 22 earlier this year, Brown wrote: “22. grateful for my husband and daughter. for my family and friends. all of my animals. I am so blessed. thank you for the birthday wishes. xoxo.”
