Madonna talks adoption on Oprah
Singer discusses controversy around baby from Malawi
Madonna is shocked by the media controversy surrounding her attempts to adopt a child from Africa
Eyes downcast, an emotional Madonna appeared on Oprah today to discuss her adoption of a child from Malawi.
Madonna told the queen of daytime television that she was shocked by the controversy her adoption of 13-month-old David Banda had caused. Primarily, she said she feared the media firestorm will scare people from adopting orphans from Africa.
“I understand that gossip and telling negative stories sells newspapers," the 48-year-old singer said. "But I think for me, I'm disappointed because it discourages other people from doing the same thing - for anybody who had the idea that they, too, would like to open their home and give a life to a child living in an orphanage who might possibly not live past the age of five."
Madonna said she became “transfixed” by David when she first saw footage of him in the arms of an eight-year-old girl who was living with HIV/AIDS in Malawi. She didn’t know then if he had any ailments.
When she finally met him, she was told he had severe pneumonia so she arranged for him to get treatment at a local clinic. (In the past he’d also suffered from malaria and tuberculosis.) “But I didn't yet know I was going to adopt him. I was just drawn to him,” she said.
David had lived in an orphanage since he was two weeks old with 500 other children, although his father, Yohane Banda, was alive. Madonna was granted an “interim adoption” order by Malawi's high court and final approval for a legal adoption is expected in 18 months.
In the meantime, David will live with Madonna and her husband Guy Ritchie. They will be visited periodically by a London-based social worker who will ensure the toddler is properly looked after.
Madonna said she was startled by press reports about the father, who was quoted last week saying he didn't realize he was signing away custody of his son for good. "I do not believe that is true. He looked into my eyes and [via a translator] said to me that he was very grateful that I was going to give his son a life and, that had he kept his son with him in the village he would have buried him," Madonna said.
"I believe that the press is manipulating this information out of him. I believe at this point in time, he's been terrorized by the media. They have spun a story that is completely false."
She denied accusations that she used her superstar status to speed up the process of adopting David. "I assure you it doesn't matter who you are or how much money you have, nothing goes fast in Africa," she said.
She also denied reports that she and Richie consulted with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie who have an adopted daughter from Ethiopia, saying, “I’ve never met Angelina Jolie.”
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