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Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness open up about their adopted kids

"They will shine a light on every one of your flaws" - by Maddison Hockey
  • 26 Nov 2020

Deborra-Lee Furness and husband Hugh Jackman have long been advocates for adoption.

Starting the charity, Adopt Change in 2008, the actress and director often speaks about the need, nay right, that every child should have to a safe and nurturing home.

But, what we often don't hear about from the 64-year-old is her own children, 20-year-old Oscar and 15-year-old Ava, whom she adopted with Hugh.

WATCH: Hugh Jackman and wife of 23 years Deborra pray for Australia

In a rare interview with People, Deborra has spoken about parenting their two kids and the family's diversity.

hugh and deborra

Hugh (left) and Deborra (right) started the Adopt Change charity in 2008 to work towards ensuring that all children have access to a safe, nurturing and permanent family home.

Instagram

"It's so interesting being a parent, and they've both made me smarter than I think I ever could have been on my own," Deborra revealed.

"But when you're a parent, you can't lie to them or yourself. They will shine a light on every one of your flaws, your Achilles heel, whatever. You've got to look at yourself."

With Oscar's Bosnian heritage and Ava's Mexican lineage, Deborra has taken a special interest in "epigenetics" - the study of how your behaviours and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work.

"What I'm very interested in is epigenetics, and it's even more so when you have adopted children because I'm coming from my lineage of my mother, how she parented me, how her mother parented her, and I'm translating that to my children."

"But my children also have a separate lineage. So it's almost like we have more players at the table."

Hugh and family

The kids are all grown up and their parents couldn't be prouder.

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The mother-of-two has made a conscious effort to open both Oscar and Ava up to their cultural traits.

"When my son was younger, he found out he was part Bosnian, so we went and got this Croatian/Bosnian cookbook and he was very proud to carry that around when he was 7 years old."

"My daughter has a Mexican lineage, so we've been to Mexico."

She then added: "We completely embrace the ancestors and the extended family; they're family to us. And it's in there, even though it's generational. It may be subtle, but it's in there."

hugh and family

Hugh and Deborra-Lee with daughter Ava and son Oscar.

Getty

In a recent interview with the Herald Sun Hugh spoke of his unwavering love for the children he considers his own.

"I don't think of them as adopted – they're our children. We feel things happened the way they are meant to. Obviously, biologically wasn't the way we were meant to have children."

"Now, as we go through life together, sure there are challenges, but everyone's in the right place with the right people. It sounds airy-fairy, but it's something we feel very deeply."

This article was originally published on our sister site, Now To Love

  • Celebrity
  • Hugh Jackman
Maddison Hockey

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