Why Colin Farrell made difficult decision to put son, 21, in long-term care facility – Page Six
2025-04-20T14:19:00Z
The “Penguin” actor explained that he’s terrified what will happen to James if something were to suddenly happen to him or James’ mom, Kim Bordenave.
Colin Farrell has made the hard decision to put his 21-year-old son James, who suffers from Angelman syndrome, in a long-term care facility.
“It’s tricky – some parents will say, ‘I want to take care of my child myself’, and I respect that,” Farrell, 48, told recently told Candis magazine (via The Independent).
The “Penguin” actor explained to the outlet that he’s terrified what will happen to James if something were to suddenly happen to him or James’ mom, Kim Bordenave.
8 Colin Farrell and his ex Kim Bordenave have made a difficult decision to get long-term care for their son James. Warner Bros
8 Farrell’s son suffers from a rare condition called Angelman syndrome. FilmMagic
“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?”
He added that James would become a “ward of the state” and they wouldn’t have a say in where he goes without a plan in place.
The exes, who co-parent James, are looking for a long-term place together where they can go and visit him and “take him out sometimes.”
“We want him to find somewhere where he can have a full and happy life, where he feels connected,” the “Banshees of Inisherin” actor explained.
8 He recently told told Candis magazine the pair want a plan in place should anything happen to them. Kim Bordenave/Instagram
8 Angelman syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that causes delayed development, problems with speech and balance, mental disability, and seizures. Kim Bordenave/Instagram
According to Mayo Clinic, Angelman syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that causes delayed development, problems with speech and balance, mental disability, and seizures.
Farrell announced in August 2024 that he was starting a foundation to honor his “magic” son.
“I want the world to be kind to James,” he told People at the time. “I want the world to treat him with kindness and respect.”
Farrell, who is also the father of 15-year-old son Henry, explained he couldn’t ask his son if he wanted to do the foundation.
Want more celebrity and pop culture news? Start your day with Page Six Daily. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Want celebrity news as it breaks? Hooked on Housewives? Check out more newsletters
8 The “Penguin” actor started a foundation in his son’s honor last year. Getty Images
8 “I want the world to be kind to James,” he told People at the time. “I want the world to treat him with kindness and respect.” Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP
“I mean, I can. I speak to James as if he’s 20 and has perfect fluency with the English language and age-appropriate cognitive ability. But I can’t discern a particular answer from him as to whether he’s comfortable with all this or not.
“So I have to make a call based on knowing James’ spirit and what kind of young man he is and the goodness that he has in his heart,” he said.
During the same interview, he recalled bursting into tears when James took his first steps ahead of his 4th birthday.
The actor also credits James with helping his sobriety journey.
8 The actor, pictured here with Bordenave (left) and his sister (right), has credited James with helping him get sober. Getty Images
8 Farrell and Bordenave, pictured here in 2003, filed for a conservatorship over James in 2021 ahead of his 18th birthday. GC Images
“Part of the fuel that I used to get off alcohol and drugs and all that stuff was knowing he had health issues,” Farrell told Daily Mail in October 2024. “All children need their parents — or a parent or grandparent or somebody — to care for them.
“One of the things James taught me was to access within myself a desire to live, even if it was initially more about me thinking I wanted to live to be around for him,” he said.
Farrell and Bordenave filed for a conservatorship of James in 2021 ahead of his 18th birthday.
Auto-posted from news source
About The Author
