Despite her highly publicized split from Jesse James earlier this year – a story which dominated magazines and tabloids alike – Sandra was able to adopt a new baby in secret.
In an age where it seems virtually everything is shared, Sandra says that she owes her private adoption to “people with integrity.” The actress told Matt Lauer, “Human beings exist that have integrity, that know how to keep their mouth shut; that know the bigger picture, that don’t sell out their friends. Those people are all over the place. We don’t like to talk about it, cause that doesn’t sell a magazine.”
From New Orleans, baby Louis is Sandra’s “Cajun Cookie” and the “Crown Prince” in a family that Sandra admits has always been very female-centric. You know, it’s nothing but girls in our family,” she shared. “Can you imagine how miserable our father is? I mean, every pet was female. So it was just the hierarchy that needed to be broken.”
While her personal life was being played out in the media, Sandra remained focused on two things: baby Louis, and helping to rebuild a New Orleans high school that was ravaged by the flood waters of hurricane Katrina.
Andy Hardy, a member of Warren Easton school board, also talked to Matt Lauer about how Sandra had called him one Sunday afternoon, asking how she could help the school.
Sandra believes, like Hardy himself, “that public school education is the answer to crime, poverty, prejudice.”
She wanted to help the school, which was located in one of the poorest districts in the city, because those areas had been largely ignored during the rebuilding efforts.
“There are a lot of things that fell through the cracks during the storm, and it was embarrassing,” Sandra said. “But right here, under this roof, there are souls and spirits and young people who don’t come from any money, but carry this extraordinary spirit to override that. Let this school be an example of how we don’t need to leave anyone behind.”
Watch Sandra’s full Today Show interview, below:
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