Colin Farrell has revealed that his four-year-old son James suffers from a rare form of cerebral palsy called Angelman Syndrome. According to Wikipedia, Angelman Syndrome is “characterized by intellectual and developmental delay, speech impediment, sleep disturbance, unstable jerky gait, seizures, hand flapping movements, frequent laughter/smiling and usually a happy demeanor.” Farrell says that he is “incredibly blessed to have him in my life” and that he often only remembers something is wrong with James when he sees his son playing with other children.

“He said that his son had shown ‘amazing courage’ in the first four years of his life and that he is an ‘incredibly happy boy’ despite his condition. Ironically Colin – who has joint custody of James with his mother Kim Bordenave – proudly led the Irish team to Croke Park for the Special Olympics before his son was born. Colin – who has starred in such movies as Miami Vice and Phone Booth – said that James has ‘enriched’ his life ‘incredibly.’ And he said that he is dedicated to helping his son reach his own ‘individual potential’ and to be ‘as happy as he can be.’

“‘With my son the only time I’m reminded that there is something different about him – that he has some deviation of what is perceived to be normal – is when I see him with other four-year-olds. Then I go “oh yeah” and it comes back to me. But from day one I felt that he’s the way he’s meant to be.’ The actor spoke with pride about the barriers his son has overcome in the first four years of his life – and paid tribute to his ex-girlfriend Kim for being proactive in getting James the early intervention he needs. ‘He took his first steps about six weeks ago and it was four years in the making. All the work is his, he worked his arse off for four years.’

“‘And when he took the first steps it was incredibly emotional, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.’ He’s broken that barrier and its all about building on that now. Although Colin has been juggling a career in Hollywood since he first burst onto the scene in 2003, he is dedicated to spending as much time as possible with his son. Little James has already met with his extended family in Dublin and even Colin’s new girlfriend, Irish student Muireann McDonnell. ‘I have never thought of my son as being someone with a disability. It goes back to special needs and what is a disability and what isn’t.’”

[Form the Ireland Independent]

I have to say, I’ve never really thought of Colin Farrell as this super deep guy, but he’s done a lot of things recently that make me have a lot of respect for him. It sounds like he has an amazing attitude towards his son. He’s not trying to make James something he isn’t, and loves him as he is and just wants him to be as happy as he can be. I can’t imagine how heartbreaking it must be to have a child with cerebral palsy, but it sounds like Colin doesn’t really see it as a heartbreak, and is just glad to have such a great kid. This on top of the helping homeless people makes me have a crush on him all over again.

Picture note by Jaybird: Header image of Colin and James. Thanks to ONYD for the images.

A few years ago a homeless man, known to locals as Stress, made friends with Colin Farrell in Toronto. Farrell returned to town this week, promoting his new film Cassandra’s Dream, when he bumped into his old friend and took him out shopping.

On Tuesday, Farrell took the man on a $2,100 shopping spree. The actor, who told CTV’s eTalk that the homeless man is “a friend of mine,” walked into a Toronto store with his arm around his pal. He then bought the man, whose street name is “Stress,” waterproof jackets, pants, boots, and even socks.

“The homeless guy was grabbing … whatever he wanted,” Dave Mott, manager of Europe Bound, an outdoor gear store on King Street, told CTV Toronto.

“Colin was walking around with the guy and doing the same thing — grabbed a sleeping bag and back pack, came back down and grabbed more clothing.”

Mott told CTV Newsnet that “they seemed like they were really good friends and they were best buddies, like they’ve known each other for years.”

Mott says Farrell made it absolutely clear: “Get him what he wants, get him the best.”

CTV

After the shopping spree, he took him to an ATM where he gets out a ‘wad of twenties’, then paid rent on an apartment for stress for a year too.

This isn’t the first good deed Farrell has performed for stress, when a radio station offered $2,000 to anyone who could get the actor into the studios (alive, I presume) the actor took the man into the studio and he was $2,000 richer!

Apparently the homeless have been loitering around the Toronto Film Festival, getting A-list cash, although Whoopi Goldberg is known for not giving anything, Keifer Sutherland and Al Pacino have been known for generosity.

Stress is the only one to have struck Irish Gold!

Note by Celebitchy: According to the article in the Toronto Sun, none of Farrell’s people have mentioned his generosity to this man to the press and it only got out by word of mouth. What’s more is that Farrell donated $100k to a Uruguayan school back in 2005 to fund a computer lab – and the news did not get out until this summer.

Woody Allen’s French nanny was summoned to Colin Farrell’s hotel room for some awkward quickies before the London premiere of “Miami Vice.” She says he’s got a small dick and that he really sucks in bed. He made love to her three times in just an hour and a half. He invited her to the premiere and after party, but she left once she saw that he was getting cosy with Gong Li:

The best part is that she compared him to James Blunt. That’s so nasty that Colin didn’t wear protection!

I would like confirmation that he’s poorly endowed, though.

It sounds like this woman is bitter than Colin didn’t contact her again and hooked up with Gong Li instead. I believe her, though. Colin sounds like a teenager with no staying power. Maybe he’ll be embarassed enough by this story to use a condom and some manners next time.

Here are some candids of Colin taken on 8/3. [via]

Colin Farrell says his son “gave him a reason to live” and that he hasn’t had a drink in six long months.

He was once such a user that he spent over three hours begging a 70 year-old woman to sleep with him. Maybe he just wanted the experience:

Colin, 30, is now clean and sober, except for chain smoking, and is ready to be a responsible father. His sister watches his 3 year-old son, James, while he’s on set.

If Colin really did try to sleep with a 70 year-old woman, the memory must be as powerful a motivator to stay off drugs as the feeling of responsibility for his infant son.

Here is Colin on the set of his new movie, (title unknown) on 7/11. [via]

About six weeks ago, we reported that Colin Farrel was dating Lake Bell, 27, his co-star in “Pride and Glory,” now filming. It seems that the relationship is going well and people are saying that Farrel is ready to marry Bell.

Farrell just got sober and he turns 30 tomorrow. He has a hard-partying past and it would be surprising if the marriage lasted if he rushed into it after just two months of dating. He may be ready to settle down, but he should try a long commitment first. Not that we’re discouraging Farrell – it would be pretty amusing to see him married with such little forethought.

Here are some pictures with Farrell out with what looks like Bell in the beginning of May. [via]

We reported the demise of Page Six yesterday after their recent payoff scandal, but they had a few good items today, notwithstanding their validity.

Colin Farrell may be dating his “Pride & Glory” co-star, Lake Bell. They were spotted together at a Gen Art Film Festival party last week and were said to be cosy:

We couldn’t find any pictures of Farrell and Bell together at the Gen Art Film Fesitival, but here she is alone at the event and in a couple of other recent appearances, and here is Farrell with Shea Whigham at the same film festival.