Colin Farrell made the tough decision to place his 21-year-old son James, who will be in a long-term care facility.
“It’s tricky – some parents will say, ‘I want to take care of my child’, and I respect that,” 48-year-old Farrell said recently. Candice Magazine (Through an independent system).
The “Penguin” actor explained to the outlet that he was afraid of what would happen to James if it suddenly happened to him and James’ mother, Kim Bodenabe.
“But my fear is what happens if I have a heart attack tomorrow and James’ mother Kim has a car accident and she is taking it too?
He added that James will become a “national ward” and that they will not have a say in where they will go without planning.
Exes, who co-parented James, is looking for a long-term place where he can go together and visit him and “take him occasionally.”
“He wants to find a place where he can live a perfect and happy life.
According to Mayo ClinicAngelman syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that causes developmental delays, language and balance issues, mental disorders, and seizures.
Farrell announced in August 2024 that he was starting a foundation to honor his “magic” son.
“I want the world to be nice 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 that he could not ask his son if he wanted to do the foundation.
“I mean, I can. James is 20 years old and speaks as if he is fully energized by English and age-appropriate cognitive abilities.
“So, based on James’ spirit and what kind of young man he is, and the goodwill he has in his heart, I have to call,” he said.
In the same interview, he recalled that James shed tears as he took the first step before his fourth birthday.
The actor also believes James helped him on his drinking journey.
“Everything I used to get rid of alcohol and some of the fuel I used to get rid of drugs, I knew he had health issues,” Farrell told the Daily Mail in October 2024.
“One of the things James taught me was to access my desire to live within myself, even if it was the first time I wanted to live for him,” he said.
Farrell and Bordenabe applied for James’ sanctuary in 2021 ahead of their 18th birthday.
