In 2010, Sandra Bullock’s life was forever altered by a phone call. “Your child is here,” declared the voice on the other end.
Weeks later, she stood on a stage, receiving her first Oscar for her role in The Blind Side. Despite the honor, her thoughts were elsewhere. “All I could think about was getting home to feed Lou,” she confessed, referring to her newborn, the arrival of whom she had eagerly awaited for years.
Continue reading to discover more about this remarkable actress and the inspiration behind her decision to adopt two children!
In 2005, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina’s devastation in Louisiana, Sandra Bullock was moved by a feeling that ultimately inspired her to adopt a child.
“Katrina happened in New Orleans, and something inside me said, ‘My child is there.’ It was strange,” Bullock revealed in an interview with Hoda Kotb on Today.
Years later, in January 2010, Bullock finally received the long-awaited call she had been anticipating for years.
“He was unexpected, unplanned. One day, I received a call: ‘Your placement is here.’ And that was years after filing for adoption,” the 59-year-old Speed star shares with CBS News.
Little Lou
Speaking affectionately about Louis Bardo Bullock, the three-month-old boy she discreetly adopted from New Orleans in 2010, Bullock shared, “I looked at him and thought, ‘Oh, there you are.’ It felt like he had always belonged.” Recalling the moment, she added, “He fit perfectly in the crook of my arm. When he looked into my eyes, there was a wisdom beyond his years. My child was wise.”
The Miss Congeniality star reflects, “I was always told, ‘The perfect child will find you. You will find your child.’ But it’s hard to believe when it hasn’t happened yet. When you’re wondering, ‘Where is my family?’ But when it finally does happen, you understand exactly what they mean.”
Weeks after Lou arrived, Bullock stood on stage at the Kodak Theatre, accepting her first Oscar for her lead role in the film, The Blind Side.
But Lou captured her attention, and she longed to be at home with him instead of on the center stage.
All I could think about was, ‘He’s at home.’ I didn’t care about being there. I just wanted to go home. And then I was sewn into the dress. I had to struggle to get out of it, but all I wanted was to go home and feed Lou.”
Merely days later, her marriage to reality star Jesse James fell apart, leaving Bullock to navigate single motherhood with an infant.
Bullock reflected, “So much had happened. How do you process grief without affecting your child? A newborn absorbs everything you’re feeling. My priority was Lou, ensuring that my grief didn’t overshadow the first year of his life.”
‘Louis’ got the stage’
“No one comprehends the change in priorities that comes with having a child until they experience it themselves,” Bullock remarked about her shift from career to motherhood. “It happens organically… he came into my life, and now, Louis takes center stage.”
Raised in a nurturing and joyful atmosphere, young Lou glanced up at their mother one day and confidently declared, “I think I’ll be having a baby soon.”
While Bullock acknowledges that expanding her family wasn’t in her plans, she heeded her son’s suggestion, which sparked the idea.
“At that moment, it struck me that perhaps he had some insight. Reflecting on it, it coincided with Laila’s birth,” Bullock recounted. “That’s just Louis—he has a remarkable intuition. He’s a natural leader, and he guided me to Laila.”
Laila, formerly in foster care in Louisiana, became her daughter when she joined the family in 2015 at the age of three.
Reflecting on Laila’s distress during her time in childcare, the Ocean’s 8 star recounted, “She’d retreat to the closet fully clothed, perch on a bookshelf, always on edge, ready to escape.” The actress emphasized that she consistently reassured Laila of her enduring presence, letting her know she wasn’t “going anywhere.”
She later recounted a conversation she had with Bryan Randall, the paternal figure to her children and her partner from 2015 until ALS tragically took his life in 2023. She recalled, “My partner mentioned to me, ‘Once she’s been with us longer than she hasn’t, I believe we’ll notice a shift.'”
His intuition proved correct. Recently, Bullock depicted Laila as “fearless.”
“She’s a survivor, and that’s why she’s here today. She fought to preserve her spirit. Oh, the incredible things she will achieve. She’s poised to make a real difference.”
Lou, now 13, “is incredibly perceptive… He possesses wisdom and compassion,” the Bird Box star shares with People. “I sensed that the moment he was placed in my arms. There was a profound spirituality within him.”
While fans may feel disappointed, the versatile actor is reducing her work commitments to prioritize her role as a single mother once again.
Bullock’s most recent appearances were in 2022’s “The Lost City” alongside Channing Tatum and “Bullet Train” with Brad Pitt.
“I can still engage creatively, be part of a community, but at this moment, I need to hit pause on work in front of the camera,” she explained.
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