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Madonna Adoption Gets Full Approval

Madonna and her husband, filmmaker Guy Ritchie, received the full approval of a Malawian court today for their adoption of a 2 year old named David. The pop star first met David at an orphanage in 2006 and has been taking care of him alongside Ritchie in the couple's London home.

"It's now official—David is Madonna's baby," the singer's lawyer, Alan Chinula, said in a statement.

"I'm glad it's over [and that] David has a new, good home," added Yohane Banda, David's biological father. The 33-year-old farmer placed him in an orphanage to ensure the child's survival after his mother died.

Madonna and Ritchie have their own son, 7-year-old Rocco, as well as Madonna's 11-year-old daughter Lourdes. Despite their good deed, critics have said the couple was given preferential treatment since Malawian adoptions normally require an 18-to-24-month review period.

"It was a big struggle, and I didn't understand it," Madonna explained. "But in the end I rationalized that, when a woman has a child and goes through natural childbirth, she (also) suffers an enormous amount."

—The ARTISTdirect Staff
05.28.08