Motherhood is the cornerstone to my entire being.  While other aspects of life comprise who I am, it is parenthood that defines me and gives me purpose in this world.  I can't imagine being away from my children for longer than a few days so it is downright unfathomable to me that some individuals can walk away from their children permanently.  Kids that are abandoned by their biological parents can find themselves on any number of paths.  Many find themselves being raised in a single parent home after either their mother or father fly the coup.  When both parents shirk their parental duties kids go into the system and become foster children who are bounced around from temporary home to temporary home, they are raised by grandparents or other kin and often times are adopted by another family all together.

These fifteen famous faces all have two things in common: they are all ultra talented human beings who took their nontraditional beginnings and turned them straight around into fame and fortune and they were abandoned by either one of both of their parents.  In many cases it was this unforeseen beginning to life that molded them into the iconic celebrities and people that we know and love today.

15 Marilyn Monroe's Mother Couldn't Care For Her

Actress, singer and model Marilyn Monroe was one of the most stunning women to have ever walked the planet.  The blonde bombshell continues to influence pop culture and sexuality decades after her passing.  Born Little Norma Jean outside of Los Angeles, California, Miss Marilyn spent the vast majority of her childhood in foster homes and orphanages.  She never knew exactly who her father was.  Her mother was married to a man and got pregnant by another, resulting in little Norma.  Marilyn's mother couldn't care for her properly and turned the baby over to a couple who probably gave the kid the only stability she has ever known.  After leaving her first foster home and being back in and out of her mother's care Marilyn eventually became a ward of the state, moving from foster home to foster home.

14 Jaime Foxx Was Given Away To His Grandparents

Jaime Fox is one of the most well known faces in America. He has an Academy Award, A BAFTA and a Golden Globe for his incredible acting performances. Aside from ruling the silver screen the guy can dance and sing, write and tells a mean joke. Through and through Jaime Fox is nothing if not an entertainer. It's hard to believe that he was an unwanted child at one point in his life. Born Eric Marlon Bishop to a young Texas couple, Fox was quickly given to his maternal grandparents following his birth. These grandparents raised him in the black quarter of Terrell, and it was under their guidance that he became the man we see before us today. His biological parents, although related to his adopted parents, were never part of Jaime's upbringing.

13 Steve Jobs Was Put Up For Adoption

Steve Jobs, one of the greatest minds of our time, was actually given up at birth by his biological parents. Before he invented the Apple computer, he was a tiny orphan in San Francisco! His biological father was a student from Syria and was serving as a teaching assistant when he locked eyes with Job's biological mother, Joanne. Sparks flew between the political activist and the girl from a Wisconsin farm and before long little Steven was a bun cooking in the oven. His biological mother's parents were livid that their daughter was in love with a Muslim and threatened to cut Joanne off completely if she didn't end the relationship immediately. Jobs was put up for adoption shortly after his birth and adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs, who he loved and respected immensely.

12 Vanessa Minnillo Was Abandoned By Her Mother

Beautiful actress and mother Vanessa Minnillo-Lachey is another celebrity to have had the unfortunate experience of being abandoned by a parent. The former Ms. Teen USA was born in the Philippines to a father who served in the United States air force and his Philippino bride. After her parents divorced Vanessa and her brother lived with their mother and step-father in Turkey, but eventually returned state-side to live with their father in the wake of Operation Desert Shield. According to Minnillo-Lachey her mother abandoned her brother and her when she was nine years old and never really looked back. She just went on with her life as if the children had never been! There was so much hurt there decades later that Vanessa didn't even invite her mother to her wedding to Nick Lachey.

11 Jay Z Had An Estranged Father

Shawn Carter is one of the world's best selling musicians of all time having sold over 100 million records worldwide and scoring a whopping twenty-one grammies. He is also married to Beyonce...as in Queen Bey! The guy owns sports clubs, clothing lines, record labels, and entertainment and sports companies. Maybe he owns a planet somewhere out there, who freaking knows. Shawn has cash and fame flowing out the eyeballs these days, but he hails from humble beginnings. Jay-Z was born and raised in a housing project in Brooklyn, New York and raised by his single mother after his father up and left the struggling family. Times were hard and Shawn fell into some seriously rough business during those formative years. Father and son remained estranged until right before his father's passing in 2003.

10 George Lopez Was Left Behind By Both Parents

By all accounts comedian George Lopez is a funny guy. He is known for both his outlandish stand up routines, that heavily focus on race and ethnicity, as well as self producing his own television show, The George Lopez Show. George's early years were not nearly as hilarious as his adult life has proven to be though. Lopez was born to migrant workers in Mission Hills, Los Angeles, California in the sixties. Within a mere two months of his birth his father took off and left the family. His mother then left him ten years later when she remarried and moved to Sacramento! Left alone George was then raised by his "emotionally distant" maternal grandmother and her husband. It's a little bit of a miracle that this guy was able to find the humor in life after all he had been through.

9 Christina Aguilera Had A Troubled Father

Today Christina Aguilera is a successful mother of two children herself. The former pop icon can sing, write, and act. She has transformed herself countless times in her career, keeping her interesting and relevant...and probably really rich. I wonder if her father will ever forgive himself for the way he treated his daughter back when she was just a tot. The New York native and her mother have both claimed that Christina's father, a retired United States Army solider, was emotionally and physically abusive, causing the couple to divorce during Christina's childhood. Aguilera has said that she always used music to escape the turbulence she experienced at home and once her parents went their separate ways she had no problem with her father leaving her life. In fact she did not express any desire to reconcile with her estranged pops until recent years.

8 Pierce Bronson Was Raised By His Grandparents

For the record I would never abandon this dreamy, Irish secret agent! Born in a small town in Ireland, 007 was the only child of his parents. Bronson's father abandoned him and his mother when Pierce was just a baby and when he was four years old his mother set her sights on pursuing a nursing profession in London, only coming home to see her child once or twice a year. Although she technically didn't abandon her child, Bronson was raised by his grandparents after she went to work in the big city. Following the death of his grandparents he then went to live with an aunt and uncle for a short period of time before taking up resident in a boarding school. The classy actor harbors no ill feelings towards his mother for her decision, in fact he praises her for being courageous enough to start over and better herself.

7 Ice T Lost Both His Parents

Born Tracy Lauren Marrow, Ice T has pretty much made a name for himself in every aspect of the entertainment world imaginable. He raps, acts, produces, and writes, to name just a few talents. T was born in New Jersey to hard working parents who eventually moved him to upscale Summit, New Jersey. It was there that a young Ice T learned the evils of racism that would eventually help him to paint his musical landscape. Ice's mother died of a heart attack when he was in the third grade and until he was in 7th grade he was raised by his single father. Following his father's death T was orphaned for a time before moving out west to reside with an aunt, uncle and cousin. Despite suffering the loss of his parents early on and a multitude of transitions and instabilities throughout his life, Ice T has certainly risen from the ashes.

6 Faith Hill Was Abandoned By Both Parents

This country music beauty was abandoned by her parents from the very get go. Born outside of Mississippi, Hill was adopted as an infant and raised by her adopted parents and their biological sons. It turns out that being abandoned by her mom and dad was one of the best things that could have happen to Hill. She was raised with morals and love and a hard work ethic. It was that work ethic and deep faith that kept her afloat during those years prior to breaking into the biz. At one point Hill worked at a McDonalds flipping burgers and a t shirt stand just to make ends meet. Considering Faith is one of the most successful country artists of all time I think it safe to say things all worked out in the end.

5 Babe Ruth Was Sent Away

He was born George Herman Ruth in the Pigtown section of Baltimore, Maryland.  At age six his family moved over to the rail yards and took up residence in the apartment above the saloon George's father ran.  A year later he was sent to live at St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys.  Accounts vary as to why he was abandoned by his family.  Some say it was George Jr.'s unruly behavior running the streets and drinking that landed him there and others claim it had to do with the apartment no being a good place for young children due to saloon violence.  Either way George spent a solid twelve years at the school before he grew up to become the most famous baseball player to have ever played the game.  Babe Ruth...the baseball orphan.

4 Willie Nelson Was Left Behind With His Sister

Singer, songwriter, poet and activist Willie Nelson was born in Abbott, Texas during The Great Depression.  Shortly after his birth Willie's mother up and left her family, abandoning Willie and his sister.  A few years later his father remarried and also left his children.  Nelson and his sister Bobbie were cared for by their grandparents.  It was these same grandparents who taught Willie and Bobbie all about singing.  Nelson's grandfather purchased him his first guitar at age six and taught him his first few strings, neither of them could have even dreamed that this gesture would become such a pinnacle life event for little Willie.  Nelson and his grandparents would pick cotton in the summers, but he hated this job so much that he started earning money singing and playing guitar in taverns and honkey tonks starting at age thirteen.  From that point on music was life for Willie.  Hard work and talent sure paid off!

3 Carey Grant Was Born To A Mentally Ill Mother

Carey Grant is the English American actor that will forever be associated with leading men in film during Hollywood's Classic Golden Years.  Although Grant was able to reach a level of success that few actors have, he comes from some seriously damaged and deranged beginnings making it a bit of a wonder that he was able to become the man that he eventually became.  Grant was born to a mentally ill mother and an alcoholic father.  When Grant was nine years old his father placed his mother in a mental institution and then told his only surviving son that she was on a holiday and later lying and telling the boy his mother had died.  One year later Grant was abandoned by his father as he started a new marriage and life that did not include his child.  Grant didn't learn that his mother was alive until he was thirty-one years old!

2 Melissa Gilbert Was Given Up For Adoption

The charismatic former child actress Melissa Gilbert was born in Los Angeles, California to a newly engaged couple who didn't exactly see children in their immediate future.  Upon her birth the couple placed Melissa up for adoption.  She was adopted one day later by Ed MacMahon and his wife, so technically she was only abandoned for a day, but still.  Gilbert grew up so Hollywood.  First her father was an iconic television personality, her sister is actress and t.v personality Sara Gilbert (from Roseanne and The Talk,) and her brother Johnathon acted alongside her when they were children starring in Little House on the Prairie.  You could say that Gilbert has been Hollywood royalty from day one...well technically from day two considered she spent that first day of life as an orphan.

1 Frances McDormand Was Adopted At One And A Half

The Fargo star is nothing if not worshiped and decorated by the entertainment community.  She is a recipient of what is often referred to as The Triple Crown, having won an Emmy for Olive Kitteridge, An Academy Award for Fargo AND a Tony Award for her performance in the Broadway play Good People!  So where did Frances get this insane dose of acting talent from?  Who knows really!  She was born in Chicago, Illinois and adopted at one and a half years of age.  Her adopted parents weren't the entertaining type, considering they worked as a pastor and a nurse, so we assume she got her zest for wooing crowds from her biological parents, whoever they are.  (It is rumored that he bio mom was one of the parishioners who attended her father's church.)