09508Latifah

www.ambiente.us SEPTEMBER / SEPTIEMBRE 2008

Queen Latifah and longtime partner planning to adopt

Queen Latifah and her longtime partner
Jeanette Jenkins are planning on adopting
a baby in the very near future, according to
friends. The not-officially-out-of-the-closet
couple has been hoping to have children for
a while now. They’re also in the process of
possibly getting married now that it’s legal
in California, though that’s not their immediate
priority right now.

It’s top secret right now, but they are hoping
to have a little one by Christmas,” according
to Celebitchy.com. “They’re trying to keep it
quiet because they don’t want to jinx the
whole thing.” Latifah’s sister, who works in New Jersey’s Division of Youth and Family Services, is helping
guide her through the red tape, said the source.
Unlike Madonna and Angelina Jolie, Latifah is making a point of adopting a child from the United States. “I
can understand why people go outside the U.S. You can adopt someone here, and the birth parents have
three years to come back and get that child. That’s terrifying,” said the Oscar-nominated “Chicago” star. But
she says poor American children “can use just as much assistance
                                                                                                           as someone from around the world.
                                                                                                            I want to do something here.”

                                                                                                            Adoption has been on her mind for a
                                                                                                            long time. The “Mad Money” star told
                                                                                                            a reporter last year, "I've always
                                                                                                            wanted to have [babies] and adopt.

                                                                                                            When I was little, I remember seeing
                                                                                                             TV shows and a child would be
                                                                                                             adopted and be happy. I just always
                                                                                                              felt like there are so many kids out
                                                                                                             there who need a parent.”

                                                                                                            There is just something about Queen
                                                                                                            Latifah that says she’d be a great
                                                                                                            mother. I think it’s the way you can tell
                                                                                                            she’s both firm and loving. She has a
                                                                                                            maternal quality without being cutesy
                                                                                                            or overbearing. Since she’s never been
                                                                                                            really out and open about her
                                                                                                            relationship with girlfriend Jeanette it’s
                                                                                                            hard to say for sure how long the
                                                                                                            couple has been together, but pretty
                                                                                                            much every article refers to them as
                                                                                                            “longtime partners.” Not a lot is known
                                                                                                             about the two, but they seem very
                                                                                                             committed to each other and happy
                                                                                                              in their life together, and like they’re
                                                                                                             more than ready to move on to the
                                                                                                             next step.

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