Colin Farrell has an update about his eldest son.
As Perezcious readers know, the Penguin actor is a dad to James, whom he shares with ex Kim Bordenave. The 21-year-old has Angelman Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes developmental delay, mental disabilities, problems with speech and balance, and sometimes seizures, per the Mayo Clinic. In the past, Colin has been candid about what life is like with James. He previously told People that his son lost out on many of the support systems he once had when he turned 21:
“Once your child turns 21, they’re kind of on their own. All the safeguards that are put in place, special ed classes, that all goes away, so you’re left with a young adult who should be an integrated part of our modern society and more often than not is left behind.”
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However, the Golden Globe winner refused to see James “left behind” and launched the Colin Farrell Foundation to extend that support to adults with developmental disorders. Now, Colin and Kim have taken another step to make sure he is well taken care of and made the difficult decision to put James into a long-term care facility. The Banshees of Inisherin star explained to Candis for the May 2025 issue:
“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.”
Kim and Colin want to ensure James has the best life possible while they are alive and when they are gone. So, ultimately, Colin said he and the model want 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.” The father continued:
“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.”
This must not have been an easy decision for Colin and Kim, but they had to do what was best for their child. We applaud him for being so open about the situation. Reactions, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments.
[Image via The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon/YouTube]
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