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'Something was missing': 'Knots Landing' star Donna Mills on why she quit thriving TV career at 54 to adopt baby girl

Donna Mills, best known for her role as Abby Cunningham on 'Knots Landing', adopted a four-day-old girl and disappeared to become a single mother
UPDATED FEB 20, 2023
Donna Mills pictured with her daughter Chloe (Kate Green/Getty Images for Universal)
Donna Mills pictured with her daughter Chloe (Kate Green/Getty Images for Universal)

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Actress Donna Mills gave up her career at the height of her success when she was only 54. Mills, best known for her long-running role as villainous Abby Cunningham on the prime-time soap opera 'Knots Landing', adopted a four-day-old baby daughter and disappeared to become a single mother, something she does not regret even to this day.

Donna Mills was considered ambitious even during her early years in the industry. She says that she was "very concentrated" on her career, both as an actress and as the owner of a successful film production company

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'I felt this discontent'

"I'd wanted to have children, but it wasn't in the forefront of my mind," Mills said, according to Daily Mail. "After I quit Knots [in 1989], I had my own company and I made movies for television. But afterwards I said, 'OK, I've done all this, now what?" She continued, "I'd noticed that I'd been feeling really jealous whenever I saw a little child running up to their mother and saying, 'Mummy', and I felt this discontent; this feeling that something was missing. I realized I just wanted to be a mom. I felt I really had something to give to a child."

Actor Donna Mills attends Larry King's 60th Broadcasting Anniversary Event at HYDE Sunset: Kitchen + Cocktails on May 1, 2017 in West Hollywood, California.
Actor Donna Mills attends Larry King's 60th Broadcasting Anniversary Event at HYDE Sunset: Kitchen + Cocktails on May 1, 2017 in West Hollywood, California (Rich Fury/Getty Images)

How did Donna meet Chloe?

It took Donna 9 months to find a baby after she contacted an adoption agency in LA. She "fell in love" with Chloe the first time she set eyes on her. The 82-year-old says, "She was mine and that's all there was to it. I do believe the right child comes to you, and she was meant to be with me."

The actress was finally back on screen after a long gap with a cameo in last year's sci-fi horror film 'Nope', directed by Jordan Peele, and a leading role in the first of a series of TV movies based on the popular Cutler Family novels written by Virginia Andrews. However, it was her dedication to being a parent that divided her career into two parts.

Donna Mills and daughter Chloe attend the UK premiere of
Donna Mills and daughter Chloe attend the UK premiere of 'NOPE' at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on July 28, 2022 in London, England (Kate Green/Getty Images for Universal)

"Motherhood was what I wanted to experience, and so for 18 years I really stopped doing everything else," she says. "The first year or two, yes, I did a couple of movies because I could take Chloe on set with me. But when she started school, I didn't want to leave her for two months at a time just so I could go off and make a movie. I had no interest in that." 

Donna on raising a child of color

"Certainly, nobody that I knew commented on it," she said when asked if anyone has ever said anything about her raising a child of color. "I thought there might be some issues that I should address though, so I joined an organization that specialized in inter-racial adoptions. It had a summer camp and classes, which were helpful because there were things I had to be aware of — things like hair care and buying certain products for that."

Donna Mills attends the UK premiere of
Donna Mills attends the UK premiere of 'Nope' at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on July 28, 2022 in London, England (Stuart C Wilson/Getty Images)

What does Chloe do now?

Chloe, now 28, works as a model as well as a membership manager for the Malibu Soho House. She stays with Donna and the man whom she considers her father, actor Larry Gilman, 72, who began dating Donna when Chloe was six. "When Chloe was about three," says Donna, "I asked her if she'd like a brother or sister and she said yes. Then when I said: 'Do you realize that I'll have to hold the baby sometimes?' she changed her mind immediately, so that was that! She just wanted to be with me and that was fine with me." 

Donna admitted that the path she chose was a rare one. "Fortunately, because I'd made some money throughout my career, I was in a place in my life where I could afford to devote myself to motherhood entirely."

Donna Mills attend the 30th Annual Movieguide Awards at Avalon Hollywood & Bardot on February 10, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Donna Mills attends the 30th Annual Movieguide Awards at Avalon Hollywood & Bardot on February 10, 2023 in Los Angeles, California (Alberto E Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Why Donna never got married

"I'm very independent, I've always made my own money and never had anyone support me. I've always felt safer that way," Donna admits. "When Larry and I met, it was later in life — and to co-mingle our finances and everything at that point," she grimaces, "why bother? So, we kept everything separate. We're not actually married, but it's like we are." 

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