Sarah Felberbaum confirms legal adoption of 21-year-old stepdaughter Gaia De Rossi

Adult adoption of Gaia De Rossi

In an interview published in the weekly magazine F, actress Sarah Felberbaum confirmed that she is proceeding with the legal adoption of 21-year-old Gaia De Rossi, the eldest daughter of her husband, football coach and former AS Roma player Daniele De Rossi. The initiative came directly from Gaia, who recently relocated to New York to pursue her studies after spending several years living in London. Felberbaum explained that she agreed without hesitation to formalize an emotional bond developed over more than a decade of shared family life. Italian law governing the adoption of adults requires the adopting party to submit the formal petition.

“Gaia is 21 years old, it was her decision and I accepted. The legal procedures, however, require the adopter to submit the request.”

Legal framework and family ties

Gaia De Rossi was born during Daniele De Rossi's first marriage to Tamara Pisnoli, which lasted between 2006 and 2009. Pisnoli received a prison sentence of seven years and two months from the Rome court in 2023 for robbery and attempted extortion connected to a 2013 financial dispute. De Rossi and Felberbaum began their relationship in 2011 and married in 2015, raising two children together, 12-year-old Olivia and 10-year-old Noah. Under Italian civil legislation on adult adoption, the adopting parent must be at least 35 years old and maintain an age difference of at least 18 years with the person being adopted. The legal step formalizes a long-standing domestic relationship that Felberbaum has frequently acknowledged on social media.

Loss of Harvey Felberbaum

The adoption process coincides with a period of personal bereavement for Felberbaum following the death of her father, Harvey Felberbaum, who passed away in July 2026 at the age of 96. Raised in the Bronx in an American family of Jewish, Russian, and Hungarian descent, Harvey had three children (Michael, Anna, and Sarah) with his wife Paulyne Day. Felberbaum shared that the loss caused acute emotional distress and weeks of isolation at home, during which she struggled to accept his absence despite his advanced age. She described experiencing a turning point while attending a Cesare Cremonini concert at Circo Massimo in Rome, where a momentary sensation of lightness gave way to tears and feelings of guilt.

“I have never felt such great pain. He was 96 years old, I knew time was running out and, as prepared as I was, I still struggle to accept the idea of no longer being able to talk to him.”

Balancing career, grief and family routine

The 46-year-old actress, who was born in London and moved to Italy at age one, is preparing for the release of the second season of the Netflix series Maschi Veri alongside co-star Francesco Montanari. Her professional schedule runs alongside managing the daily routines of her two youngest children in Rome while De Rossi works in Genoa coaching the football club Genoa. Felberbaum noted that she travels between cities to sustain their marriage while managing household duties without outside assistance. She emphasized the value of therapy and public transparency around grief, noting that open discussions about emotional vulnerability have helped normalize mental health support.