James Cameron and his wife have applied to become guardians of their daughter’s 16-year-old friend, who has been living with them since last September.



The ‘Titanic’ filmmaker and Suzy Amis Cameron – who have Claire, 19; Quinn, 16; and Elizabeth 13, together – have filed a petition to obtain temporary guardianship of a 16-year-old girl, who they described as a ”dear friend” of one of their kids, due to struggles in the lives of the teenager’s parents.

According to documents obtained by People, the couple explained the girl lived with her parents in New York until September 2019 but they began to experience ”health challenges and financial hardships approximately one and a half years ago rendering them increasingly unable to care” for her.



The teenager’s parents have separated and are both living in two different states, with no ”permanent residence” for her to safely stay with them.

The couple explained how their daughter and the unnamed girl ”maintained a close friendship, connecting online daily and even visiting each other in their respective hometowns.



The teenager has now been living with them for eight months and has been enrolled in MUSE School, the private education facility founded by Suzy, and the family have offered her a ”wholesome and stable home environment”, where she has been cared for ”as one of their own children,” the couple said in their petition.

James and Suzy explained in their petition that the girl is ”thriving” in their household and ”wishes to continue to be cared for” by the couple with the permission of her parents and grandparents.



James – who has been working on the ‘Avatar’ sequels in New Zealand – and Suzy have requested the temporary guardianship be approved in order to ”travel out of state and internationally with the minor.”

As well as their three children together, the 65-year-old director also has 27-year-old Josephine with ex-wife Linda Hamilton, and Suzy, 58, has Jasper, 30, from her marriage to Sam Robards.