Millie Bobby Brown's Decision to Adopt Is Still at Least a Bit of a Mystery

The news that Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown and her husband Jake Bongiovi had decided to adopt a child, even though she is just 21 years old and he is only 23, understandably surprised some people. Both the fact that they decided to become parents so young and the fact that they decided to adopt were surprising.

As we've looked back at everything Millie said about her desires for a family in the past, though, we can begin to understand her decision to adopt at least a little better. Here's what we know.

Millie has not fully explained her decision to adopt a child instead of having one biologically, but in the past, she has spoken about wanting to have a large family. In an episode of SmartLess from March of this year, she explained that her mother had had her at a young age.

"I'm still really young," she said. "My mum actually had her first child when she was 21, and my dad was 19."

She went on to explain that she has long wanted to be a mother the same way her mother was to her.

"I really want a family. I want a big family," she added. "I'm one of four, he's one of four. So it is definitely in our future. For me, I don't see having your own child as really any different as adopting. My home is full of love for anyone or anything. And so, that is what we kind of stand by. The energy in our house is the door is always open, and we want everyone to feel comfortable."

She went on to say that she and Jake had discussed starting a family, and they didn't really care in what way they did it or when. It seems, then, like she might have decided to adopt for the simple reason that it's what makes sense for them now, and they were ready to start building the family that she's always wanted.

Millie has certainly received more attention and had more success than most people her age, so it might not be so crazy to think that she's a little bit more adult and put-together than your average 21-year-old might be.

In speaking with Glamour in 2023, she explained that her desire for a big family has fed her ambition to accomplish as much as she can early on in her career.

"It's like — I know I should make this movie now. I know I should write this book now. I know I should do this now," she explained. "It's not because I can't do it in 10 years; of course I can do it in 10 years."

While she might not be explaining exactly why she adopted at the moment, it's clear that she was always open to adoption. Now that she has one child, we'll have to see whether she still wants to big family she's always dreamed about.