What's Really Going On With Colin Farrell And His Son?

Colin Farrell may be best-known for his acting, but he's been in the news for everything from his eyebrows to his stay in rehab. He also has made headlines for — and is happily open about — the fact that his son, James, has special needs. "The struggles of a child with special needs can be so brutal that they can tear at the very fabric of your heart," he explained in a 2017 interview with Today. "But the love shared and the pure strength and heroism observed is the needle and thread that mends all tears."

Farrell's son has Angelman syndrome, which is also known as AS, per the U.S. National Library of Medicine. It "is characterized by severe developmental delay or intellectual disability, severe speech impairment ... and/or tremulousness of the limbs," as well as "unique behavior with an apparent happy demeanor that includes frequent laughing, smiling, and excitability," per the outlet. Beyond that, "[m]icrocephaly and seizures are also common." To date, per Mayo Clinic, it has no cure.

While developmental delays caused by Angelman syndrome can be detected around six months of age and "the unique clinical features of AS ... manifest ... after age one," per the U.S. National Library of Medicine, Farrell's son may need his parents to care for him into his adult years. That's why the star has made this legal move.

When you hear the word "conservatorship," you may think of the legal circumstance that involves Britney Spears. While that's definitely a sticky situation, Colin Farrell has filed for a conservatorship for his son, James, and the reason is pretty straightforward. It's in order to protect him.

Farrell, along with James' mother and Farrell's ex-wife, model Kim Bordenave, have asked the court to allow them to both remain in control of certain aspects of their son's life in order "to properly care for James as an adult," according to legal documents obtained by The Blast. The joint petition would give both parties the ability to make decisions for James once he turns 18 in September. According to The Blast, the documents filed make it clear that James needs daily assistance due to Angelman Syndrome. Farrell and Bordenave want to remain in charge of tasks like "finding proper housing for their son, power to access confidential records, withhold consent of marriage, enter into contracts," and "give medical consent," as well as "the power to make educational decisions," as the outlet reported.

It sounds like Farrell and Bordenave are just trying to do what they think is best for James.