In 2011, Comedienne Kym Whitley welcomed her son, Joshua, in the most unusual circumstances, but she has grown into motherhood and is the perfect mom to her son. Here is a look into their incredible mother-son relationship.
Kym's career has spanned nearly three decades, and she has been featured in several television and film productions within that time. Kym Whitley's movie credits include "Fist Fight," "Group Sex," "I Love You, Man," "We Bought a Zoo," "The Hustle," and many more.
Kym Whitley at the “Essence After Dark Women in Hip Hop” Theater on July 5, 2019 | Photo: Getty images
At the peak of her career, Kym was being hassled with scripts and gigs at every turn. She was traveling all over the world for shows and had built a loyal fanbase, but late into her 40s, she had not experienced motherhood and was not even close to it.
For most women, motherhood is something they look forward to with a lot of enthusiasm. Right from the moment they get pregnant, to the day the baby is delivered, they think of nothing more than to care and nurture their young.
But the journey into motherhood cannot be mistaken for a comedy movie straight out of Hollywood. The comedic actress never got pregnant, there was no plan, and she never expected It!
KYM WHITLEY'S AMAZING ADOPTION STORY
In 2015, during an interview on TODAY, Kym likened the whole process leading up to her meeting and adopting her son, Joshua, to a pizza delivery because she had only an hour to make a decision.
Going into the details, the fast-talking comedian revealed how she was single and living her best life when she got a surprise call from a hospital telling her that her baby was ready.
Kym explained that she assumed it was probably a prank call from one of her colleagues, and so she responded, saying, "I didn't order a baby," before ending the call.
Her phone rang again, and this time it was a social worker on the line, who explained to Kym that a girl she had been mentoring had given birth to a baby boy and listed the actress as the guardian for the child, only to exit the hospital unannounced.
The social worker told Kym that if she didn't accept the baby, he would be put in the system. The reality TV star revealed she didn't like the idea of leaving the baby to be put into the system, and with her mom urging her on, she decided to take a leap of faith and adopt the baby boy.
An hour and a half later, Kym's newborn son was delivered to her, but she didn't know how to take care of a baby. Luckily for her, she has had a reliable support system made up of her close friends, or as Kym puts it, "her village," which she has relied upon in raising her son, Joshua.
In 2015, the actress had an emotional reunion with Joshua's birth mother, who wanted to meet him for the first time. But Kym felt it would be too soon for Joshua, and told his birth mother she would hopefully be a part of his life in the future.
RAISING JOSHUA WHITLEY
Kym Whitley has been very vocal about her motherhood experience and how adopting Joshua changed her life for the better by helping her to become more focused.
The single mom was so excited about her motherhood experience she decided to share it with everyone through her docu-series "Raising Whitley," which premiered on the Oprah Winfrey Network on April 20, 2013.
Despite not having any prior experience with motherhood, Kym set about raising her son as best as possible. The "Deliver Us from Eva" actress was able to build so much love and support for her son with the help of her friends.
Like every other mom, there have been difficult times, and one of such moments that is peculiar to parents of adopted children is knowing when is the right time to let the child understand his origins.
In 2016, during an episode of "Raising Whitley," the iconic actress talked to her 4-year-old son about his birth and tried to get him to understand he was adopted. It was evident from their conversation that it would take some time before Joshua fully understands the term "adoption."
Joshua also gave his mom a big scare while he was much younger when he suffered some bouts of severe allergies. The experience pushed Kym to launch a line of "Don't Feed Me shirts," which provide details of a child's allergies to a nanny or caretaker.
The proceeds from the sale of the shirts, which come in different colors, are going to a college fund set up for Joshua.
Kym Whitley's son Joshua Kaleb Whitley has had an exciting childhood, which is well-documented on his mom's reality TV show and his personal Instagram page.
Recently, Joshua took to his Instagram to post a short video in which he does a little dance and urges people to stay safe amidst the ongoing health crisis.
KYM WHITLEY'S PERSONAL LIFE
Back in 2012, Kym Whitley was rumored to be in a relationship with Rodney Van Johnson for a very long time, but the pair always denied the claims, even though they lived together for some time. During that period, Rodney developed a strong bond with Joshua and became more like a father figure.
The pair's friendship petered off, and in 2014, during an interview, Kym revealed that she was no longer speaking with Rodney, and he was no longer part of her "Village," which refers to her inner circle.
Not much is known about Kym's personal life, but in 2018, during a guest appearance on "Steve TV Show," she told Steve Harvey that she was in a relationship.
The 58-year-old actress didn't give any details about the special man's identity, but her fans are hoping she has finally found her Mr. Right.
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