Friday, October 22, 2010

Celebrity Adoption: Rod Stewart, Birth Father

Celebrity stories are usually about adopters;  this one is about the reunion of Rod Stewart and the child he relinquished for adoption 46 years ago:
Seven-time father Rod Stewart was virile long before he was rich, and the rocker-turned-crooner is now rekindling hs relationship with the daughter he gave up for adoption when he was a teenager.


Mod Rod told Joy Behar he was "absolutely stone broke" when Sarah Streeter was born and had no other option. "She was put up for adoption when I was 17 or 18, I think," the rocker said Thursday.

Stewart has had sporadic contact over the years with his daughter, now 46, but the two have gotten closer following the deaths of her adoptive parents.

"Since her mom and dad have died, we've tried to come together and be close together, and it's working out pretty well," Stewart said. "I never felt like I was her dad, because I didn't take her to school, change her nappies, there was no paternal thing there, but I'm trying."
I wish I were surprised by the fact that contact was only sporadic before her adoptive parents died, and that they are only now building a real relationship.  But I hear so often from adoptees who won't search or who won't have a relationship with birth parents for fear of hurting their adoptive parents.  What a shame.

7 comments:

Von said...

While it is a tragedy, the subtle messages are often so strong it makes it impossible.It's what grateful adoptees do and are expected to do, part of the deal and the hardship of adoption.

The Gang's Momma! said...

But do we know, based upon this brief article, that that fear is why their relationship or contact was only sporadic? We don't, really.

A safer assumption might be that the BIG PERSON (think celebrity, touring musician, man of legendary fleeting relationships?) that Rod Stewart became was likely a hindrance to Streeter, her adoptive parents and/or Stewart intentionally and commitedly pursuing a relationship.

I'm thrilled for both of them, now, however. It's likely that in his later years, he's more accessible and therefore maybe more relational?, in the time of her life when she has little to no other connections of family.

Campbell said...

I got the impression he was trying to butt out of her parents parenting.

justanotherjennifer said...

I tried to email this article to you but it didn't go through. Is it just me or does this "feel good" story make too much of the difference between labeling "adopted" and "biological" and too little of racial issues in adoption....I know it's just a simple hometown paper but still. I want to write a letter to the editor but I am not sure what to write. I am an adoptive parent, in the interest of full disclosure, but also part of a birthfamily as well.

http://www.eagletribune.com/local/x154641242/Central-Catholics-adopted-son

justanotherjennifer said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Louise said...

"I can tell by your eyes, that you've probably been crying forever... and the stars in the skies don't mean nothin' to you, they're a mirror. I don't want to, talk about it, how you broke my heart. If I stay here just a little bit longer, if I stay here won't you listen...to my heart..."

Oh, sorry, I got carried away by memories, that very well could apply to his child by birth. Although it was probably for one of his vast lovers. Anyhoo.... (I hate that word)....

Who knows what happened, but I would think likely her parents died and losses for her (including birth parents) helped her reach out further. Oh, and maybe Rod got older, less busy and softer.

Anonymous said...

It's hard to know the backstory by this short article. Time goes on a people change their perspectives.