Madonna and Guy Ritchie adopted one-year-old David Banda in 2006, although it was a years-long legal mess for them to get it cleared by the government of Malawi. Madonna has six kids in total – first Lourdes, then Rocco, then she adopted David, Mercy and twins Stella and Estere. Lourdes was the first to leave home, and I remember reading that Rocco and the rest of the kids really missed Lourdes because Madonna is super-strict and they were mad that Lola got out of Madge’s clutches. Still, by all accounts, all of the kids are reasonably well-adjusted, given… everything about Madonna. Well, David is now 18 years old. I don’t know if Madonna kicked him out or whether he wanted to get the hell out of his mother’s restrictive household. For what it’s worth, he still seems close to his mother – he performed at her concerts last year, he has photos of her on his social media, and he hasn’t said anything to indicate they had a falling out. But Madonna hasn’t given him any money. So, that’s the headline. He chatted with the Sun, in what was probably a paid interview?
Madonna’s son David Banda says he has been forced to “scavenge” for food after moving out of the superstar’s home. The teen musician is now living in an apartment in The Bronx, New York, and charges for online guitar lessons in a bid to make some cash.
Asked how he likes living alone, he insisted: “I love it. I’m not on my own, I’ve got my girlfriend. But I love it.”
However David — whose mum is worth £650million and has homes all over the globe — continued: “It’s lovely to experience it being nine o’clock at night, me being hungry and realising that I don’t have enough money to get food and scavenging. It’s fun to be young.”
David also confirmed that the Hanky Panky hitmaker has a new man in her life, after I revealed she had grown close to Jamaican-born footballer Akeem Morris. Speaking on Instagram Live, he confirmed: “Truth be told, she’s not single. She’s dating a guy . . . That’s her life. She’ll do what she wants to do.”
And while David is also loved up with model girlfriend Maria Atuesta, it sounds like he would be at home on Love Island if they ever split up. He has revealed he is a big fan of the ITV2 series, hosted by Maya Jama. David, 18, said: “Reality TV is great because it allows people to forget about their day and enter a virtual world where you get to peer into other people’s lives. I like Love Island and Perfect Match.”
Maybe I’m wrong about this, but it sounds like he moved out when he turned 18 and he *wants* to see if he can make it work on his own. He’s finding himself, he’s exploring his newfound freedom, he’s trying different things. I’m sure if he wanted to, Madonna would let him come back at any time for a meal. I don’t think it’s crazy that an 18-year-old guy wants to explore the ups and downs of his freedom. What’s crazy is that he’s a tall, nice-looking young man whose mother is Madonna, and her connections haven’t assured him some kind of nepo-career? Dude could model or get a recording contract or work for a record label or a fashion label. I wonder if he gets those kinds of offers and turns them down.
Photos courtesy of Banda’s IG and Madonna’s IG.
Damn, he’s gorgeous!
Say what you will about Madonna but it does seem like all of her children turned out reasonably well adjusted. You don’t read about them and their hijinks, etc. I think he’s just an 18-year-old young man who wants to find himself.
I like this kid. I’ve seen some reels of him on Madonna’s Instagram, and he seems so bright, engaged, enthusiastic, and well adjusted. Like he’s there to have fun and work hard. I’m rooting for him to turn out some creative artist type who finds a lot of success.
He already clarified this article. It is misleading, shocking I know. He said his mom is supporting him. I think, it is a case of him trying to make it on his own in order to experience the real world. I believe, Lady Gaga did the same thing. So, people thought she was a poor artist, but actually her family was rich.
Ah, ok, that makes more sense. I mean I’m glad he’s out there trying to make it on his own, but also glad there’s a safety net from Mama Madge – what else is the use of your money if not to ensure the safety of your kids?
Makes fun. Having to scavenge for food is very different from knowing you have a parent who will make sure you don’t starve or get thrown out on the street; thereby he gets to have fun seeing if he can make it on his own knowing that if he needs help, it’s there.
I had no idea he’d grown up into such a beautiful young man! His girlfriend Maria is striking, too… a very unique beauty.
“ I want to live like Common People,
I want to do whatever Common People do”
Perfect comment on this!!!
Is that a picture of him in his apartment? Yeah. He’s doing just fine.
Sometimes rich parents try to teach to their kids the value of work and money, and I have the feeling that Madonna always tried to make them work.
Probably he is in that phase of life where he just wants to learn how to figure it out fir himself, or how to manage moneys. I am sure if he struggled he could always go back to Madge.
If she didn’t serve him some contract kudos to her.
I get that the focus is Madonna but he does have a father too. Is Guy Ritchie not a part of his life at all?
He’s a rich kid seeing what it’s like to not be rich. Meh, he’s trying to work thing out on his own, not a bad thing. Didn’t Lourdes say the same thing, that she has to work? I don’t think she lets them starve or be homeless, but she’s probably trying to teach them to adult a bit? Shaquille O’neal loves to tell his kids that he’s rich , they aren’t. He has rules about going to school and if you want money for a business you have to come with a business plan. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to not let your kid be an entitled twit.
I hate it when rich people cosplay poverty.
In this case it likely comes from the idea that struggling builds character, but I disagree. Being homeless several times in my life and almost starving to death didn’t teach me anything. What I learned was trauma and nothing else. No insightful lesson. Just waking up at night screaming thinking I was back on the streets.
This is so insulting on so many levels. Surely there’s a better way to teach rich kids that poverty exists and that they should learn the value of money without having them cosplay the poor.
That was broadly my reaction to this story. I don’t want to dunk too hard on a kid but finding it ‘fun’ to scavenge for food is a very tasteless comment when so many live in actual poverty and go to sleep hungry because they don’t have any other options.
Yeah, this really rubs me the wrong way, but he’s really just a kid still so I’ll try to not to hold it against him.
yeah it’s like a game. l knew someone in college who would dress like ragamuffin and sell their plasma to make rent, and then leave at spring break on their family’s private jet for their ski vacation in Switzerland.
I don’t think he’s pretending to be impoverished. Having an empty fridge is something that a lot of people deal with every day. If he was living in a tent city and going to food banks, that’d be different. At 18, I admire anyone who can separate his privileged upbringing from the real world.
I had a very similar reaction to this story. Must be nice to have the privilege to pretend to be poor for funsies. “Scavenging” my arse.
He’s 18? He looks so much more mature. He’s very beautiful, maybe he wants to pursue something not obviously celebrity? That would be refreshing.
He’s dating a model, playing guitar, and giving interviews to the Sun, so my guess is he has some ambitions.
@TEALILY My thoughts exactly. I rolled my eyes thinking “great! what the world needs, another nepo baby that wants to be a musician/actor/model”
Why can’t these nepo babies be like Angelina Jolie’s kids? Her oldest is going to college and he doesn’t want to become a celebrity. So refreshing. Become a doctor, an astrophysicist, a social worker… We really don’t need more nepo artists.
He wants to be in the arts for sure, whether it’s music or some other form. Madonna said this about David: “What he has more than anything is focus and determination,” she said. “I’m pretty sure he got it from me. He’s the one I have the most in common with. I feel like he gets me; he has more of my DNA than any of my children so far.”
Sounds like he’s just happy to be living in his own, like when kids go to college, except he’s not going to college…for now.
If he’s charging for online guitar lessons, then that’s definitely better than being on OnlyFans. He knows how to be entrepreneurial without having to resort to strange things.
He’s dumpster diving…it’s super popular even amongst those who are not on the poverty line. I’ve done it and there are groups here in Sydney that do it and then post in FB groups the extra they have to donate to those in need. It’s great for the environment too…..it’s scandalous what supermarkets throw away, good on him. I’ve always liked David, I think he’s going to do great things, same as Loudes. All the kids seem super down to earth and encouraged to pursue their passions understanding the privilege they have. Kudos to Madge!
If my mother insisted on dressing the way Madonna is dressed in the top pic, i’d try to minimize contact, too. Madonna has gotten to a point where she looks absolutely ridiculous and refuses to admit it. Everyone is making fun of her.
Why should anyone care about what she wears? She’s richer than god, just completed a hugely successful world tour and wears what she likes….good for her, growing old disgracefully is far more fun….wear what you want, it doesn’t harm anyone (inc her kids)