Madonna 'to adopt again'
Thursday, 26 March 2009
Pop star Madonna is to travel to Malawi in a bid to adopt a second child, government officials from the African country have told the BBC.
The 50-year-old is expected to arrive at the weekend and attend a procedural hearing at the High Court on Monday.
She recently told Malawian newspaper Nation that she had been considering another adoption, but wanted the support of the authorities.
Madonna's official adoption of David Banda was confirmed last year.
An official at the Malawian department of women and child welfare told the BBC's Raphael Tenthani that the pop star had already filed adoption papers and her case could be heard as early as next week.
Madonna's spokeswoman in New York, Liz Rosenberg, would not comment.
Writing in response to e-mailed questions from Nation readers last week, Madonna said: 'Many people - especially our Malawian friends - say that David should have a Malawian brother or sister.'
Critics accused the Malawian government of sidestepping laws banning foreign adoptions in order to allow the celebrity to take David home with her.
After the adoption was legalised, Madonna said the difficulties had arisen because 'this adoption essentially was the beginning of the creation of adoption laws in Malawi'.
She hoped it would make it easier for others to adopt from the country and explained: 'I am the template or the role model, so to speak, for future adoptions.'
The 50-year-old is expected to arrive at the weekend and attend a procedural hearing at the High Court on Monday.
She recently told Malawian newspaper Nation that she had been considering another adoption, but wanted the support of the authorities.
Madonna's official adoption of David Banda was confirmed last year.
An official at the Malawian department of women and child welfare told the BBC's Raphael Tenthani that the pop star had already filed adoption papers and her case could be heard as early as next week.
Madonna's spokeswoman in New York, Liz Rosenberg, would not comment.
Writing in response to e-mailed questions from Nation readers last week, Madonna said: 'Many people - especially our Malawian friends - say that David should have a Malawian brother or sister.'
Critics accused the Malawian government of sidestepping laws banning foreign adoptions in order to allow the celebrity to take David home with her.
After the adoption was legalised, Madonna said the difficulties had arisen because 'this adoption essentially was the beginning of the creation of adoption laws in Malawi'.
She hoped it would make it easier for others to adopt from the country and explained: 'I am the template or the role model, so to speak, for future adoptions.'
From BBC News
A documentary about children in Malawi and Madonna's adoption was just released too. You can check it out on hulu.com. It's called "I Am Because We Are."
Here's the description: In Malawi, a country of 12 million people, so many children without parents has caused irreparable damage. This film attempts to explore what is going on in the heads and hearts of the country's orphans and what the future holds for them.
Posted by: Ivka | Thursday, 26 March 2009 at 11:34 PM
So happy for her!!! Good luck M
Posted by: Dana | Thursday, 26 March 2009 at 10:51 PM
i loooove this woman! she is going against the establishement and doesnt give a damn about what people are going to say again. She is not afraid of anything or anyone!She always does what she wants! she is my inspiration!
Posted by: jojo | Thursday, 26 March 2009 at 08:16 PM