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From Broadway to Hollywood, Kristin Chenoweth has become a household name in entertainment. She is well-known as the original Glinda the Good Witch of “Wicked,” and she is enjoying yet another successful run on stage as “The Queen of Versailles.” The star has appeared in numerous TV series and films and is also a New York Times Bestselling author. Kristin Chenoweth has stolen the show in countless productions – but the Tony-winning star owes it all to her adoptive parents. This is Kristin Chenoweth’s adoption story.
Setting the Stage
Kristin Chenoweth was born on July 24, 1968, in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Her birth mother chose adoption to give Kristin a better life. At five days old, she was adopted by Junie and Jerry Chenoweth.
Junie and Jerry were always open about adoption. The loving parents would openly discuss adoption, and – as Kristin told “TODAY” – say: “’The lady that had you in her belly could not take care of you the way she wanted to, and she loved you so much.’”
The family would celebrate Kristin’s “Gotcha Day,” the date she was adopted, just five days after her birthday.
Kristin has described knowing both her biological and adoptive families as a precious gift that enriches her sense of belonging and identity.
“I have two families and both of them – the biological family and the family that raised me – made me who I am,” Kristin has said.
Curtain Up
Kristin remembers singing from a very young age. She says her parents nurtured her artistic pursuits. They also encouraged her to reconnect with her biological mother in 2012.
Kristin described the moment she met her birth mother when she appeared on “Live! With Kelly and Ryan.”
“I had no idea what to expect and I never wanted to interrupt anyone’s life, especially hers, but I had a bad accident, and I had some time to really heal and think,” Kristin said.
She credited Troy Dunn for helping to find her birth mother.
“I met her, and I walked in the room, and she went, ‘It’s you?!’ And I said, ‘Hi!’ and it was just like looking in the mirror. Also, she said, “I hope you can forgive me,’ and I said, ‘You gave me life and Junie Chenoweth, my mom, gave me a life. I have nothing but gratitude and love to you.’”
“For Good”
Kristin has been open about her adoption and has even written about it in her books. One of those books was a children’s story, “What Will I Do With My Love Today?” about a lonely girl who adopts a dog. She read an emotional part of the story on “TODAY:”
“You see Thunder, families don’t all look the same, or talk like each other, or even have the same name. Extra love in your heart and your home is waiting for somebody who is all alone. No matter how life has brought us together, adoption means family, and family is forever. We had lots of love in our family before, but with you Thunder pup, we have even more.”
The heartfelt picture book emphasizes the importance of spreading kindness.
“As a child of adoption, I wanted to write a book about what it was like for me to rescue a dog,” Kristen told PEOPLE. “I don’t think it’s all that different. It’s you love who you love, and you pick your family sometimes and sometimes it’s nature versus nurture. In my case, I got the right parents and in my dog Thunder’s case, she definitely got the right parent.”
Kristin and her birth mother, Lynn, shared a close bond after meeting and until Lynn passed away in August 2023. Kristin shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, writing:
“The angel that brought me into this world has passed. Her name is Lynn. Aka Mamalynn.’
The Emmy-winning star reflected on their decade-long relationship, crediting her birth mother for gifting her “artistic ability.”
“The ten plus years I knew her were magic. So many things became clear to me about myself when I met her and came to really know her. Those of us who knew her loved her light. Her love of music and all things artistic. An artist herself! In her belly, I became fans of Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan, Doyle Bramhall, Jimi Hendrix, and, of course, Billy Ethridge – my bio dad. The two of them gave me the innate artistic ability I have today.”
Kristin also shared that Lynn had “prayed for me every year on my birthday, hoping I was having the most perfect life, which of course, I was.
“I snuck away and prayed for her too, wishing that someday I would be allowed tell her ‘Thank you.’ Which I did on 12/12/12. A beautiful day!” she shared.
“We didn’t leave anything unsaid in the end. I will miss her till the end of my days. But then, I will fly into the sky, where she will be waiting to greet me, and she will say, ‘start singing Babygirl!’ And I will. RIP Mamalynn.”
Kristin has always had a positive view of her adoption, which is the case for most children in open adoptions. With open adoption, children grow up knowing their story and have contact with their birth parent(s) over the years. They grow up knowing they are loved by two families, not just one.
Learn More About Adoption
If you would like to learn more about adoption, contact Adoptions With Love today. Whether you are facing an unplanned pregnancy and want to lovingly place your child for adoption, or you are interested in adopting a child, we can help. Call 800-722-7731, text (confidentially) 617-777-0072, or contact us online.