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Celebrity

20th Apr 2025

Colin Farrell reveals heartbreaking reason he has to put his son into care

Sean Crosbie

His son has a condition called Angelman syndrome.

Colin Farrell has revealed the heartbreaking reason he has to put his son, James, into care.

The Oscar-nominated actor’s 21-year-old son has Angelman syndrome, which is a genetic disorder that mainly affects the nervous system. 

James was diagnosed at four years old.

In an interview with Candis Magazine, Colin revealed that he and his ex Kim Bordenave have made a decision regarding James’ care.

The decision being to place James in long-term care.

He said: “It’s tricky, some parents will say: ‘I want to take care of my child myself.’

“And I respect that.

“But my horror would be… What if I have a heart attack tomorrow, and, God forbid, James’ mother, Kim, has a car crash and she’s taken too – and then James is on his own?

“Then he’s a ward of the state and he goes where?

“We’d have no say in it.”

The Penguin star said that he and Bordenave hope to “find somewhere we like where he can go now, while we’re still alive and healthy, that we can go and visit, and we can take him out sometimes.”

He added: “We want him to find somewhere where he can have a full and happy life, where he feels connected.

“He needs a bigger life than we can afford him, by having a sense of community that he feels connected to.

“By going out in the van every day and going to the supermarket and doing the shopping together.

“By going to the beach, museums, movies, all that stuff.

“Just a connected life.”

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Colin Farrell