Charlize Theron adopted a newborn baby girl named August last month

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Well, this is an interesting turn of events. It reminds me of Sandra Bullock’s super-quiet adoption in the midst of her split with Jesse James. According to TMZ, Charlize Theron quietly adopted a little girl… last month. Charlize spent six months going through the adoption process, which means she started the process when she was very much with Sean Penn and he was actively seeking to adopt Charlize’s son Jackson. What do you want to bet that Sean was originally going to adopt this child WITH Charlize?

Charlize Theron’s family has grown by one … TMZ has learned she’s adopted a second child.

We’re told Theron worked with an adoption agency for 6 months to seal the deal. The child, an African-American girl, was born in the United States. Charlize took custody of the newborn in July. The baby’s name is August … just like now.

We’re told Charlize specially wanted a girl this time around, and she got it! Theron adopted her son, Jackson, from South Africa back in 2012.

[From TMZ]

A girl born in July, named August. I actually don’t hate the name. Would it have been better to have a girl named August actually born in August? Sure. But at the end of the day, Charlize got a healthy baby and everybody’s happy. August Theron… I like it. I’ve never really noticed it before, but “Theron” sounds good with a lot of first names. Will the little girl’s nickname be Auggie? Charlize has likely been hiding the baby while she went to work in England on The Huntsman.

As for the awkwardness between Sean Penn and Charlize after she dumped him and ghosted him, Charlize and Sean have been “reunited” in the past week… to do reshoots on The Last Face, the film Penn directed and Charlize stars in. The photos from the South African set have been very uncomfortable – go here to see. What do you want to bet that Sean is trying to talk his way back into Charlize’s life? And if his name is on any of August’s adoption documents, it could get so much more uncomfortable for Charlize.

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Photos courtesy of WENN.

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119 Responses to “Charlize Theron adopted a newborn baby girl named August last month”

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  1. Tough Cookie says:

    Mariska Hargitay has a son named August who was born in June.

    I think it’s such a strong beautiful name….

    • sa says:

      I really like the name August. But I feel like it would be too cutesy if an August was actually born in August. (I feel the same for all the month names).

      • original kay says:

        sometimes babies are not born when they should be 🙁

        mine was due in july, born in august (this weekend in fact!) and we kept his name what we planned- august

        suits him completely, and I hope people don’t judge us or him too harshly, for the reasons for his name were not “cutesy” at all.

      • EC says:

        @originalkay – Congratulations!!! A good friend of mine has a kid named August (aka auggie) and I think its a wonderful name, regardless of the month of birth.

      • Alix says:

        I think Augusta would’ve been prettier.

    • daria says:

      My cousin named her daughter June because she was born in June. it seemed too cutesy at first but its grown on us

      • Audrey says:

        Cutesy beats awkward. I know of a girl named Autumn cause that’s when she was conceived

    • laura in LA says:

      Aww! I shed a tear reading this bit of good news today.

      I like it when celebs, no matter their own race or nationality, choose to adopt children of color, especially black-American babies who may have less chance. Since I may be past childbearing myself, this is what I hope to do if I can.

      I also like the name August for a girl or a boy. Maybe Charlize chose the name because it’s her own birthday month – and this baby is a “gift”?

      Anyway, good for her, and nice to hear of her growing family. 🙂

      • mayamae says:

        @Laura, healthy children of color are almost as in demand as healthy white babies in the US. Charlize is not being charitable and providing an orphan a home. She probably leap frogged over thousands of potential adoptees in getting this baby in six short months. Adoptable newborns are very scarce these days. I say this as an adoptee myself.

      • itzblissy says:

        yea, babies are always in demand. The ones that have less chance are older african amercian kids. I think 7 and up are the ones that doesnt get alot of demands from people looking to adopt..

      • Mackie says:

        Actually @mayamae as a fellow adoptee I gotta say that thats actually not true. Every other race is 7x and higher more likely to be adopted than African American babies. Not that long ago I read an article about how African American babies are being “exported” to other countries for adoption because familes in Canada and Europe are more willing to adopt them than American families.

      • jc126 says:

        Older kids have a tough time. The rates of adoption go down alarmingly as kids get older, of all ethnicities.
        Rosario Dawson adopted a 12 year old girl. I wish I could hug her for that.

      • laura in LA says:

        Hey All,
        I didn’t say I wanted a baby specifically, or that I’ll even be able to do this since I may be on my own, though I do follow AdoptUSKids on Facebook…

        You know which kid I remember most? A 17 y.o. black-American male right here in LA, described as smart and artistic, heartbreaking to think that he’d be out of the system and on his own in a year. Yet all he probably wanted or needed was love, support, someone he could trust and a place to call home. So I do realize the harsh realities, especially in this city where many former foster kids very sadly end up on the streets.

        By the way, I also loved hearing that Rosario adopted a 12 y.o. girl, news that was even more inspiring to me than this. 🙂

    • sa says:

      original kay-sorry if my comment came off as judgy. I didn’t mean it that way at all, but I see how it reads that way. What is cutesy to me is naming a child for the month they are born. But even that is so subjective an opinion that I don’t at all think it’s some kind of absolute, it’s just my general opinion (but I also have an unusual name, so my opinions on names are probably shaped by that).

  2. Patricia says:

    All I can say is her nips are on point.

    No but seriously, I’m happy for her and her new daughter. I hope she keeps both of her children far away from Penn.

  3. Jay says:

    My dentist had a girl named April born in May, but that’s because she went way past her due date. She’d been calling her bump April for so long she didn’t want to change it.

    Anyway, congrats to Charlize and her growing family.

  4. tracking says:

    Maybe the baby had an August due date and she stuck with the name? Glad she got Sean Penn out of her house before bringing that baby home!

    • EM says:

      Maybe that’s the reason the relationship ended? Either he didn’t want to over commit himself or she saw that he wasn’t parent material or both.

      • TeaAndSympathy says:

        I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who wondered about this, EM. Imagine being a small child and having that awful guy as your main male role model…

      • EM says:

        From what I’ve read about him [and the Madonna incident] recently, he doesn’t really come across as someone who appreciates an equal relationship. He has to be the dominant one.

      • Don't kill me I'm French says:

        My guess is that she chose her daughter over Penn because Penn was not excited by another young kid

  5. Loopy says:

    Sometimes adoption strains relationships if the other party is not a hundred percent in it .i.e Sandra Bullock/Jesse James, Angie/Billy Bob.

  6. Hereford says:

    Yea maybe the adoption is what drove them apart. Good for her for realizing what’s best for her kids. Sean’s probably calling up minka kelly for some consolation to his ego

  7. Claudia says:

    In Germany it’s a traditional, quite old-fashioned boy’s name, so to me it doesn’t suit a girl, but I like the name in general. And August Theron has a nice ring to it.

    • Prairiegirl says:

      ‘Auguste’ is also an old fashioned French boy’s name. It was my great uncle’s name; we called him Gus. August Theron sounds very nice together and it would be quite modern to call a little girl ‘Gus’, I think.

    • Elisa the I. says:

      Her name makes me cringe a little because – as you say – it’s a really old-fashioned boy’s name. In Austrian the matching nickname would be “Gustl”. aaaaargh.

    • mememe says:

      August was always my #1 choice for a boy before I found out u can’t have children.. Very strong, beautiful boy’s name. It’s odd seeing it on a girl, buy still beautiful.

    • Malificent says:

      I had a great-aunt named Augusta. Her nickname was Gussie.

  8. Liberty says:

    I am happy for her, lovely. A little sister for her son, always sweet.

    But I have a question: what kind of Beverly Hills adoption agency do stars use that would allow adoptions even if you’re dating an allegedly violent even abusive man with a big temper? Seriously wondering. I’ve known people, lovely, stable, etc., the kind everyone says “they’d be great parents” about – who had to go through nerve-wringing hoops to get their adopted children. ?? Or…is this why the break-up happened?

    • Alice says:

      Yeah, my thought-maybe she promised Penn would be gone before the due date.

    • alice says:

      This is the answer (sadly but true): $$$$$$$$$$$

      • alice says:

        Or…OR, It just occurred to me: the adoption agency DID have issues about Penn’s involvement due to his temper and police record, and BAM! he’s gone, baby girl come in!

      • Deedee says:

        You beat me to it!

    • Nayru says:

      I’m wondering that myself. It seems others are overly judged for every tiny sign of instability and celebrities don’t seem to need to stand up to the same qualifications.

      • Lily says:

        When we adopted they performed minor background checks on everyone close to us- ie our parents and siblings, even if we didn’t see them frequently. This also applied to any caretakers that were routinely in our home, which we did not have. They did extensive background checks on my husband and I, and I suppose Penn would have been subjected to an extensive one. I wonder if he downplayed his arrests or convictions, and Charlize was either surprised or the adoption agency had concerns.

    • MinnFinn says:

      Liberty, Theron had to have done an independent adoption using a lawyer or perhaps she used a private agency. I say that because infants are scarce. As for working around the SP character issue, private independent adoptions have far fewer regulations than government adoption agencies.

    • K says:

      Could be why she dumped him. I have another question I remember Sandra bullock saying they went through 4 years of screenings and interview processes (standard apparently) before she was able to adopt the most adorable baby in Hollywood. So my question- after you adopt one child is the process quicker or did Charlize jump the line?

  9. lisa2 says:

    Well good she is not being accused of “buying her children”..

    She had to have had home visits. And at that time she was with Sean; so he had to be part of that discussion. She just got back from shooting additional scenes for the film she did with Sean. So maybe things are better or they were very professional.

    • jc126 says:

      Wait for it, someone will accuse her of buying her kids.

      • lisa2 says:

        No on second thought that only happens if the child belongs to particular celebrities. Everyone else just adopts. OR if you babies are born in the USA.. then it is an adoption not a purchase.

  10. Green Is Good says:

    Glad Charlize kicked Sean Penn to the curb . I wouldn’t want that asshat anywhere near myself or my kids. And she still has to work with him? Hell on earth .

  11. Tara says:

    I like that name. Good for her. I think she will be focused on her kids now instead of a man. It is interesting that she has been working on the process for six months back when she and Sean were all loved up. I still think Sean crossed the line in a fight they may have had and she decided she was done for good. Charlize’s friends say when she is done with a guy, that’s it. She moves on pretty quickly. Those pictures from the set of The Last Face are so uncomfortable to look at. Charlize looks unhappy and Sean looks really hurt. Wonder how press for the film will go.

  12. Amy85 says:

    Maybe Charlize just liked the name August. I think other things may have been the problem. The adoption was happening for months and Sean seemed to enjoy being with Jackson.

  13. MediaMaven says:

    Holy crap – that woman is gorgeous – that’s all I’ve got……………

  14. Tippipippi says:

    It’s sad that the standards are so low for adoption that women who bring known violent men into their children’s lives are allowed another kid. After hearing her compare her love for her animals as equal to her older child I felt so sorry for him, that’s a child who will never experience real maternal love. Money buys you everything I suppose. Children are just objects to be acquired for some people.

    • Brittney B says:

      Adoptions standards are FAR from low… the more likely scenario is that she broke up with him in order to adopt the girl. “Children are just objects to be acquired”? Seriously..? There’s nothing to indicate that Charlize isn’t fully involved in her son’s life. I love my animals as much as I love my partner; it’s a different kind of love, but I’d die for any of them, and I get that sentiment completely. If I had to choose between staying with him and keeping my animals… well, I’d choose them, because I made a promise to care for them for the rest of their lives. Relationships end for many reasons, but pets aren’t disposable, and I take their trust seriously.

      It seems like you take offense to the comment because you think animals ARE “just objects to be acquired”, or because you don’t understand that one can show “real maternal love” toward an animal. Getting a pet is a commitment, and some don’t take it as seriously as they should, but Charlize isn’t one of them… and good for her. My maternal side comes out when I’m with my pets; I never wanted children, but as an adult raising several animals with my partner, I’ve tapped into a side of myself that I didn’t know existed. If this is how you feel, I really hope you don’t have pets.

      • Valois says:

        They are lower than in other countrys though. She’d be too old and too sindgle to adopt in my country. Not saying I support that.

      • Viv says:

        Well said, Brittney. I feel like a lot of people don’t understand just how much a pet can mean to someone. They are not objects, but a big part of many people’s families. I hyperventilated and cried for days when my last dog died, and although I think comparing that love to the love between a mother and her child is probably not something most people would agree with, I do understand it.

      • Tiffany :) says:

        “She’d be too old and too sindgle to adopt in my country. ”

        I wouldn’t consider those higher standards, they’re worse. Why shouldn’t a woman Charlize’s age be able to adopt a child by herself?

      • Valois says:

        Tiffany, I’m not a native speaker. Therefore, I equated higher with stricter, not neccessarily better.
        According to adoption law in my country there shouldn’t be more than 40 years in age difference between children and parents. (= A woman and a man in their fourties would be allowed to adopt an infant/ a child.) I think that’s a good solution.
        And singles aren’t allowed to adopt or use a sperm bank because it’s not considered an ideal situation. However, I don’t agree with that, so it’s hard for me to argue in favour of it. There aren’t _that_ many children giving up to adoption though.

  15. alice says:

    Honestly I’m pretty sure I’ve read when reading some serious outlet interview that neither the engagement nor Jackson’s adoption were true. Thy were just rumors and their PR people quietly denied both.
    As for the adoption, is now much likely that one of the reasons they broke up was this. I can’t imagine Penn changing diapers and committing to raise two little kids, one newborn, when his own daughter said he wasn’t much a of a present father for her and her brother. Now, people can change, of course, I don’t think people like Penn can change though. He’s 55 years old…a newborn adopted baby girl? Nope
    Also, I believe that Charlize started by her own the adoption papers, without involving Penn.

    • gal says:

      Gossips at the time said she dropped down an adoption procedure when starting to date Penn. Dunno, maybe this time she tought it would work fine and not be left alone by the man she was with. like it happened with her first kid’s adoption.

  16. Hereford says:

    Alice: I believe Sean had confirmed the engagement rumors in an interview

  17. Crumpet says:

    I love the name, but hate ‘Auggie’. It makes me think of ‘Silverado’ and the lumpy little boy named Auggie.

  18. Maum says:

    I am so fed up with people giving girls boy names.

    I find it quite weirdly sexist. You never hear of little boys having girl names do you?

    What’s wrong with Augusta? It can be nicknameg Gus, Gussie, Oggie… Whatever the hell you want.

    • gal says:

      The wrong with Augusta is the media establishment gender inquisition crusade.

    • carol says:

      Um,, have you ever heard of the name Leslie? That was a very popular name for boys many years ago. Carol, Kelly, Dana ……

    • velvet says:

      I gave my son a girls name, Fern.

    • jc126 says:

      I don’t like girls being given boys names, or vice versa. I’m not a big fan of either/or names, either, but I suppose those are better than names like Zuma or North.
      I think the most unfortunate girl’s names are what sounds like last names – like Peyton Manning naming his daughter Mosley, I believe it is. Horrid!

    • Veronica says:

      Is August traditionally considered a boy’s name? The only August I know personally is a woman. I always considered it pretty gender neutral. As a boy’s name, I always knew it as Augustus. As far as name gendering, some of it is likely cultural background -like how Valerie is a boy’s name in Russia but a girl’s name in the U.S.

    • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

      I knew a boy named Beverly.

    • j.eyre says:

      Sometimes it becomes a weird loop: my son’s name is Shannon, which was a surname in our family that became a first name for many, many of my male ancestors. Then the 70s happened and Shannon was giving to countless women and, in the US at least, it was considered a “girl’s” name, much to my brother’s chagrin. Fortunately for my son, there are hardly any Shannon’s at all in his school. His best friend’s mother is named Shannon, which makes our texts to get the kids together interesting, to say the least.

  19. MrsBPitt says:

    I don’t really like the name August for a girl, but it’s not my baby, so, congrats to Charlize!

  20. Maum says:

    I think it bugs me because of George from the Famous Five books. She wants to have a boy’s name because she wants to be brave and fearless like a boy while little Annie is all meek and scared of her shadow and spends her time cooking breakfast and tidying up after George and her brothers…..

    Anyway rant over.

  21. Kate says:

    How lovely! It’s admirable that she’s a strong, successful and independent woman capable of raising her children on her own. I found it so odd that she was with a man with a known history of abuse, but it appears that she returned to her senses. All is right with the world again. I think August is a really interesting name for a girl. Gender neutral names are all the rage this year.

    • Maum says:

      IT’S NOT A GENDER NEUTRAL NAME IT’S A BOY NAME!!!!!!!

      Sorry I will calm down now. 😉

      I want someone famous to have a boy and give them a girl name and then all will be well again.

      • gal says:

        To help you to calm down: depending on her social gender mood, the kid, later, can inter-change between August and Augusta! Easy.

      • Isa says:

        I thought it was a gender neutral name too. I have heard of Augustus for a boy, Augusta for a girl, but August seems like it could be for either or.
        Shrug.

      • Sisi says:

        @Isa

        In some countries the month is called August, in others it’s Augustus. It’s the basically same name but with a different language as basis. So the gender doesn’t decide the difference in the name (in most cases).

      • IB says:

        The month August is named after a male (can not at the moment recall which Emperor or religious person it was). It is a boy name. Just like Jane is a girl name. If people want a gender neutral name linked to names of months try December.

      • Ange says:

        Well technically while Augustus was a name given to a man, Octavian who became Caesar Augustus, it isn’t a name at all. It’s an honorific meant to show how great he was, it translates to something like ‘the increaser (of Roma, greatness etc)’. It’s why now the word august is meant to mean someone who has great standing and dignity. If you wanted to take it further then yes August should be Augusta because in Latin the ‘a’ suffix is feminine and ‘us’ is masculine but it’s still just a cognomen.

  22. gal says:

    She truely was on demand of good publicity, like a new pet to keep her older pet and his nannies’ company. Maybe she’s gone hire the Affleck’s nanny now that Penn is out of sight.

  23. Twinkle says:

    She looks really pretty in that picture above (the one where she’s wearing the skirt with dots on it).

  24. Hereford says:

    Alice: it was in a recent interview Sean did before their breakup. The writer confirmed it. Plus Sean’s people use us weekly to confirm news

    I think Sean cheated on Charlize with minka kelly (he was also seen hitting on waitresses) and I think minka cheated in her “relationship” with Chris Evans with Sean. But he was cheating with randoms so no one got hurt except Charlize

  25. Friday says:

    maybe the break up was a fake out, so that she could adopt the baby from an agency that wasn’t very impressed with penn’s history.
    now that it’s official, count down a few month until they get back together…
    just a wild theory!

    • Tara says:

      It’s a possibility. There was a blind about a couple that really weren’t broken up, but pretending. Maybe due to Sean’s history of arrests for violence Charlize couldn’t adopt a child with him.

      • alice says:

        where and when was this BI?

      • Neah23 says:

        She started the process 6 months ago if the adoption agency had a problem with his past they would have pretend to break up then not now after the fact.

  26. Pics says:

    Have you seen the pics of their reunion on the film set? Charlize looks like she’d rather be anywhere else and there’s a considerable distance between the two. The only time she looks happy is with the makeup and bts people.

    I really think something went down, whether it was abuse or Sean didn’t want to take care of the child. Whatever it was, it was pretty bad and Sean was quick to move on with minka Kelly. Sean’s ego is bruised so I think we’re about to have a countdown to another relationship with Sean and whatever young random model/actress soon.

    • Tara says:

      He didn’t move on with Minka Kelly. That was nothing. Just a group birthday party. Sean’s daughter says he’s still trying to get over the break up with Charlize so he’s throwing himself into the movie.

    • alice says:

      the thing is that she started the adoption procedure 6 months ago, so penn was well aware of her intentions of having another adopted kid. So is he wasn’t game with committing and/or didn’t wanted to adopt with her why wait until the adoption is almost done to break up? Also: if they allegedly got engaged on November last year, why Charlize did all by herself the adoption and not alongside her fiancee? (I don’t believe they were really engaged) that’s really odd.
      My guess now is that the agency didn’t wanted Penn in the equation, she faked the break up and they will get back together in a few months.

      • Neah23 says:

        She adopted the baby by herself because they are not married it’s easier that way.

      • Tara says:

        I agree with Alice. We have all thought that something major must have happened because they seemed so smitten with each other one minute and the next they broke up. Now we can guess that the major thing was the adoption.

        I think either she dumped Sean because she desperately wanted to adopt a daughter, or they are just taking a break, so that she can appear single and adopt.

    • siri says:

      They were together for about 18 month- perhaps she didn’t tell him about her plans until the last moment? He might have asked her to wait a bit longer, who knows, but I wouldn’t automatically assume he didn’t want another child. And Minka Kelly… was just a party with lots of people.

  27. Pics says:

    Nah. She filed as a single mom. Angelina did the same thing when she filed Maddox with billy bob. Sean’s daughter said he wasn’t the best father growing up so it didn’t seem like he wanted to have kids again. Plus tmz reported that cops were called once when Sean and Jackson were out. Anyways Charlize’s friends have said that once Charlize is over a guy she moves on quickly. She dumped Stuart after 9 years and adopted her son shortly after. Same thing happened here. Charlize is already back in la after spending a few days on the shoot and based on the tension in the pics it’s obvious she didn’t want to be there

  28. Lucy2 says:

    Congrats to her! I like the name.
    Glad Penn is out of the picture.

  29. Anon says:

    Congrats to Jackson on his new baby sister. ..and of course, mama Charlize!

  30. bliss says:

    I like the name.

  31. Ms. Turtle says:

    Does anyone remember a blind Lainey did maybe a year or more ago? I could have sworn the consensus was that it was CT and it was about coke. Ever since then, I can’t see her the same way. Not that I ever thought she was a particularly nice person. She’s so beautiful but that doesn’t always translate to nice person.

    • Dana m says:

      Yes, I remember that BI about the coke. I couldn’t picture her as a user but who knows. It’s very possible.

      August is a lovely name. I considered that too for my baby girl born in August, but ended up with a classic French name instead.

      I hope Sean is out of the picture for real. If she broke up with him to be able to adopt( bc they couldn’t based on his abuse history) and then turns around and reunites with him later, I’d lose total respect for her. I’d think she is crazy for raising her kids with a well known abusive person.

    • G says:

      ‘She’s so beautiful but that doesn’t always translate to nice person.’

      Is this comment even necessary?

      • Ms. Turtle says:

        Many of the comments above go on about how beautiful she is. As if that has any bearing on being a good mother. IDK if she is or isn’t but that’s why I said it.

  32. Justwastingtime says:

    As an adoptive mother in CA ( as well as a bio mom) I would mention that it requires fairly rigorous home studies that includes a review of everyone in the house. We had to submit the record cards of our older children for Pete’s sake. I can’t imagine that Sean Penn was considered a desirable addition to her household.

  33. Livealot says:

    Kudos to her for adopting black children but I wonder is she wants a biological one too. I always imagined having a rainbow coalition of kids. Guess that’s what adds to Angie’s appeal.

  34. rianic says:

    I was surprised by her relationship w SP considering her father’s own violent history.

    I’ll try to link –

    http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=132413

  35. LAK says:

    Those photos with Sean are very awkward.

  36. Pixi says:

    Did she adopt Jackson from South Africa though? I seem to remember when she adopted him that there was a lot of hate from South Africans because she didn’t adopt him from there, but instead from the States?

  37. Dani says:

    My daughters name is June and she was born in September. Oops.

  38. MAC says:

    How did she adopt in 6 months?
    I hope that the six months is not true but if it is that is sad for the rest of the world.

  39. idsmith says:

    Some media reports keep going on and on about her “ghosting” him as though she’s done something wrong. Once a relationship is over, especially if there is good cause, there is no reason to drag things out or keep someone dangling. Out, over and done. Besides, I read somewhere that Charlize supposedly warned Sean about his notorious temper – that if he ever touched her or her son she would be gone instantly with no communication. Hmmmmm.