As we know now, Madonna did, in fact, adopt a pair of twin girls from Malawi. The girls, Esther and Stella, are living with Madonna and, from what it seems, settling into their new home beautifully. On Saturday, Madonna posted this video:
I think we can all agree that is pretty precious. I love how excited they become when they recognize the song and belt it out for all it’s worth. And can we give it up for Mercy’s piano playing?! She’s fantastic. I bet we’ll be watching her at the Hollywood Bowl in 10 years’ time.
We also know a little more about the adoption, like that Lordes accompanied Madonna when she first met the twins and that this has been in process since last summer.
Madonna and Lourdes first met Esther and Stella in July 2016 during a volunteer trip to Malawi. They quickly developed a bond with the twins, whose birth mother died days after giving birth and whose birth father was unable to support them. Their heartbreaking story “really touched Madonna,” the pal told Us.
Esther and Stella, who do not speak fluent English, live at the music icon’s $40 million townhouse on New York City’s Upper East Side, where they will be accompanied by a Malawian caretaker to help with the transition.
The judge who granted the conditional adoption said that, although Madonna’s age was, “above the normal range of parenting,” she was in good health and could provide a loving home in a “luxurious, spacious and comfortable abode in an affluent neighborhood.” He also said her charity work, especially in Malawi, was what led him to decide in her favor.
I was glad to read that someone is there helping with the transition. I know nothing about international adoption but I assume this is standard. Wading through Madonna’s Instagram (be careful, Madonna loves to teeter on NSFW), there are many photos of her children and they seem like really cheerful kids. As Kaiser mentioned, Madonna’s original dealings in Malawi were problematic but the result seems to be a happy and fun-loving family. That’s always a plus. I have no idea where she finds the energy for six children. But then, Madonna never really runs out of energy, does she? She’s like the Energizer Bunny.
Speaking of Madonna’s talented kids, check out David – he’s a horseman (and his horse is gorgeous).
Photo credit: Instagram and Fame/Flynet Photos
Cute kids : )
Adorable.
David might be in a future olympics equestrian competition.
Madonna seems like a really good mom and her kids seems happy, grounded and polite. Ok, she’s older than most parents of 4-years-old kids, but the important thing is love and those girls will be getting a lot from her and siblings!
Lourdes is a very beautiful woman.
It’s great she’s given home to these lovely girls but we can’t forget the fact that her son Rocco doesn’t want to live with her and prefers his dad.
Nat- We also can’t forget he’s a teenager. I was hell on wheels and HATED my mom at that age. Insisted on living with my dad. My mom did absolutely nothing wrong except give me boundries. Could well be the same with them. (Can’t believe I’m defending Madonna because I can’t stand her.)
We also can’t forget the fact that since being in his dad’s care Rocco has been arrested for drug possession, so thanks for making me defend Madonna too!
I feel for their brothers and sisters left behind. It’s unfair but such is life
The twins father claims he didn’t know she was adopting them,didn’t understand this was a permanent arrangement.I find it very odd with all the orphans in the world she adopts four kids where she KNOWS they have a living parent. Coincidence? I would think after David’s bio father and Mercy’s bio father complained she would maybe look at children who didn’t have a father was alive.
plus there are thousands of kids in the US who needs to be fostered/sheltered or adopted.
Domestic adoption is not that simple or available, but you’re welcome to look into it and see why.
Very cute twins, so enthusiastic, and it’s a good sign they’re doing music – it will help a great deal with learning another language.
The same situation literally happened with David and Mercy’s families and that is why I am not okay with her adopting again. These weren’t “orphans” or even adoptable children in the system. She exploited the fact that these children’s families have to rely on the orphanages to ensure the children are fed. Clearly the adoption arrangements were never explained to the families. Lets be honest, Madonna isn’t adopting children, she is purchasing them.
Adoption is a beautiful thing and she is ruining it, especially foreign adoption
She can rant against Trump all she wants, but how is she different? She’s buying kids and taking advantage of a man from a third world country with no education. She’s evil. Why is she buying kids with a surviving parent and calling it adoption? I believe this rich white woman is actually kidnapping children. The father was told it was a fostering situation, so the girls would receive an education.
His daughters went into the orphanage and he went off with another woman. They didn’t take the kids, but he and his new wife had another kid. These kids have been in an orphanage for four years. This adoption took almost two years. I don’t believe what he says coming out now to a rag mag
Things are different in their country, and he is not an educated man. But he is their father, and why is she taking kids from a parent that is still alive? If she was concerned for their welfare, build a school, help the father financially, but buy his kids and then act like she’s a savior for purchasing his kids? He has said he DID visit them, and that he thought it was a fostering situation. He is upset and confused, and the girls will no longer see their siblings or dad. How is that a positive? Why not adopt kids who are actual orphans? Madonna has been repeatedly accused by African parents of taking their kids. Three times. It’s not an accident. It doesn’t cost much to get someone on their feet there.
This happens all the time. When the mother passes, the kids are considered orphans because of draconian ideas about child-rearing and that fathers are not equipped to care for children. So there are many children in orphanages who have fathers but are there because their mothers have passed. So now he wants to claim them, after he left to be with another woman and left them in the orphanage? It’s about the money but he probably does feel justified also since he was not considered equipped to raise the children. Who knows if the circumstances have changed now where his new wife would accept them, but that is also very uncommon. Pretty much, if your mom dies, you are considered an orphan.
She couldn’t have used some of her vast fortune to help the girls’ dad get on his feet so they weren’t removed from their surviving parent and home?
Yes, when I read that they had a living father who couldn’t provide for them the whole adoption process gave me weird vibes.
Seriously. Why not adopt orphans? Why does she adopt kids with living parents? Why not either help them get on their feet, or adopt children with no parents? It’s creepy.
Maybe a lot of people here are missing the point. After their mother’s death they were left in an orphanage and the father went on to marry and have other children with another woman pretending at the same time not being able to care for the girls. He never went to visit them or cared about them, his whole family said as much in interviews.
For the system- yes they have a living parent- they are orphans and as such eligible for adoption (as were David and Mercy). The idea of helping the father financially is good BUT why should she do that??? She was looking to adopt and she got the chance with the girls. Is she throwing money left and right in order to achieve that? For sure in a way or another. Is it bad?? Not in this context. Those girls will have a good life and hopefully a loving mother who wants them and the only parent figure in their life so far. Look at the other 2 adopted children: playing music, riding horses and looking happy and healthy. Those girls hit the jack pot as never in a million years would they had the chance of this life even if M helped the father now. He would have gone and have more children with the current wife. Good luck to all of them. Wish all the best in the world
He has said- as did the orphanage- that he always came to visit them. Things are different in their country. So basically, these girls are lucky that a rich white lady came and took them from a PARENT WHO IS STILL LIVING so they can have piano lessons and horseback riding lessons? If she wants to help, why is she consistently adopting kids who have living parents, as opposed to actual orphans? Instead of helping people or building schools, she is buying children. Charming. You think the girls “hit the jackpot”? Because someone bought them, and that person is rich, and now they will never see their siblings or dad again, but, hey- music lessons and ski trips!
Adorable! Glad these twins didn’t get separated in the adoption process. And those pj’s! I do question the motive of posting this video publicly. Can’t some things just stay private? Kids can’t give permission for flaunting their lives online, parents should have better insight.
“I ask the media please to respect our privacy during this transitional time”, her own social media excluded and thus media in general.
I hope I am not offending anyone, but I don’t understand posting pictures of your kids on your social media if you don’t have a private account only for friends & family. Kids are not props. Worse if you’re a celebrity.
She gives me Mommy Dearest vibes, post-menopausal woman adopting children and using them as props. I suppose the goal is to make us forget that she is pushing sixty and that we all just spent a year watching her international custody battle. Instead of taking Malawian children whose fathers are still alive and love them, why doesn’t she use her money and fame to figure out why so many Malawian women die in childbirth and implement measures to help solve the problem that is causing children to be placed in orphanages in the first place?
She’s now done this 3 separate times. Her motives should really be examined. Why is this rich white woman taking African children away from their surviving parents?
Or if she’s looking for unconditional love, why not support the kids within their own culture, and get herself a dog?
David has great form.
Seriously, what is going on with Madonna? She looks sooo old out of a sudden, I am shocked. And her lid starts to droop? Why is that? Plus, must be ages I have seen her the last time with non-greasy hair…
“Starting 2017 with The 4 things…”
“things”???? idk if i had children i don’t think i’d refer to them as material possession/things.