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Colin Farrell got candid about the "struggle" of caring for his son, who is suffering from a rare genetic disorder. The actor spoke about his son's condition in August 2024 during an interview with People, as he launched a foundation to provide support for adult children with intellectual disabilities in honor of his son.
Colin Farrell's son, James, is 21 years old and was diagnosed with Angelman syndrome when he was four. The neuro-genetic disorder is a rare one and causes severe developmental delays and disabilities. According to the Angelman Syndrome Foundation, the disorder affects one in 500,000 people worldwide and usually includes symptoms like walking problems and seizures.
Now, the actor opened up about how he and his ex-wife, James' mother, Kim Bordenave, decided to have their son put in a long-term care facility. In an interview for Candis Magazine's latest May 2025 issue, Farrell said:
"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."
Farrell explained that he and Bordenave want James to find a place where he can "have a full and happy life, where he feels connected." He said that it was also important for them to find a place for James while they are still alive and healthy to go and visit him or take him out sometimes.
Colin Farrell acknowledges the "struggle" of finding "suitable residential care" for his son
Amid the news that Colin Farrell and his ex-wife decided to settle their son James in a long-term care facility due to his rare disorder, the actor acknowledged that it has been a "struggle" to find "suitable residential care."
As for what they are looking for in terms of a care facility for James, Farrell said in the Candis Magazine interview:
"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."
While voicing out the struggle of finding a care facility like that for James, the actor also acknowledged that other families could be experiencing the same difficulties. However, he said that he always knew that he wanted to do something about the problem, hence his Colin Farrell Foundation.
In his August 2024 interview with People, Farrell said this about the reason for starting the foundation:
"For years [I] wanted to do something in the realm of providing greater opportunities for families who have a child with special needs, to receive the support that they deserve, basically the assistance in all areas of life."
He added that he's doing all of it in James' honor.
Per the Colin Farrell Foundation's website, the initiative focuses on housing and day programs, among others.
