Now that Gregory Kingsley has "divorced" his biological parents under the white-hot glare of the media spotlight, he will start life anew as Shawn Russ.
He's learning to play the saxophone, planning tennis lessons and will continue camping and backpacking with the Boy Scouts, said Lizabeth Russ, the youngster's new mom.But first he'll discover the bright neon lights on Broadway.
Shawn and his adoptive father, George Russ, flew to New York on Saturday, where they will attend a Broadway musical, visit a museum and appear on ABC's "Good Morning America" on Monday, Lizabeth Russ said.
"This is a reward for going through with it. He's never been on an airplane before," she said in a phone interview Saturday from her Fruitland Park home.
After a two-day hearing in Orlando, a circuit court judge on Friday granted the boy's wish to be adopted by the foster family he's lived with for nearly a year. Shawn had hired a lawyer and sued to end what he charged were years of neglect and mistreatment by his biological parents.
His biological father didn't contest the case. But Rachel Kingsley, the boy's biological mother, has filed notice of appeal. Lizabeth Russ said she hopes the appeal will not be too disruptive to Shawn's new family life.
The Russes have eight other children; Shawn will have five brothers and three sisters, and Shawn's new father is a Scout leader, Lizabeth Russ said.
On Tuesday, the sixth-grader will be back at his middle school in Leesburg, where he can begin to push his celebrity status into the past, his mother said.