It looks like Madonna has until Friday to spread some more cash around Malawi. A judge today delayed ruling on Madonna's application to adopt 3 year old Mercy James until Friday. After deliberating for an hour and making Madonna reenact parts of her Sticky & Sweet tour, the judge said he needed more time to decide. Currently Madonna is trying to get around the two year adoption process normally required under Malawian law. I'm guessing she is able to do this because she is probably spending massive amounts of money with promises of more if they keep letting her adopt more kids.
Mercy James' mom died and the location of her father is unknown. However, Mercy's grandmother is still very much in the picture and is accusing Madonna of stealing her grandchild. Not, that she wants Mercy to live with her, she just wants everyone to know Madonna is stealing the child. See, this is the part I don't understand yet. Oh, I understand the part about Madonna using her money and fame to get a child whenever she wants.
What I don't understand is why a grandmother says things like Madonna is stealing her grandchild, or saying she will go to court and not let Mercy go, but leaves the child in an orphanage. There is no indication she even sees her grandchild, and if Madonna doesn't take Mercy, she will go right back into an orphanage. I can understand if she was taking care of the child, even if it was a low standard of living, but she isn't. Is it because it is Madonna or because Madonna is single, or is it simply because, she too has been subjected to Swept Away and Shanghai Surprise?
It's a complex cultural and ethical situation, but basically Madonna is treating the orphanage like a pet shelter - you go pick out the one you like, give them some money, and take it home without any concern for its past situation.
ReplyDeleteIts a mistake to judge the Grandmother using western standards.
ReplyDeleteIn certain cultures in sub saharan africa there is a kind of sharing of children. It blew my mind when I first came across it, if for example if I have 4 children and my sister has none, I may give my sister a child to raise, send him or her off to another part of the country to be raised. I may see the child only years later.
It blew my mind when I first came across it and thought it was a once off thing, but its not.
So it might be worthwhile to understand the Grandmother's cultural beliefs and practices before labelling her a gold digger.
For all I know she may be, but I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't something culturally going on. Don't place western standards on african practices. It doesn't work.
I don't understand the grandmother at all. If she doesn't want anything to do with the little girl, then what does she care if she is adopted or not. Grandma needs to STFU unless she has a better idea. As for Madonna, I agree she is treating this like adopting a pet from the shelter. I think Angie does the same thing tho.
ReplyDeletei hope g-ma finds little david banda's father and sees what he has to say.
ReplyDeletein the end, madonna will circumvent all laws and get her way, and that's a sad, sad thing...what message does this send not only to the malawians, but to the world at large? :(
I read in another article that the grandmother planned to have Mercy stay at the orphanage until she was 6 and then she would live with her grandmother.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I'd hate to live with Madonna...but, let's face it...a poor aids infected child living in an African orphanage faces a way better prospect for a fulfilling life as Madonna's child than in its current circumstances. Madonna is a pain in the ass but she's got more money than God and if she wants to rescue a kid, more power to her...I don't see a line-up of people wanting to do this.
ReplyDeleteshopping for human beings is disgusting. her ego has no bounds.
ReplyDeleteZoe I read the same thing. According to the grandmother the orphanage agreed to return Lucy to her when she's six.
ReplyDeleteThere was also some trouble with David's family when Madonna adopted him.
Maybe she should adopt a baby from some place outside of Malawi as it seems the children even if living in orphanages still have some attachment to family members who may not be able to afford them.
If she continues to push adoptions in Malawi there will always be dissension.
psychos are nuts - EXACTLY. We have to stop imposing our values on others. Yes, it is a kind of normal practice in a country with so few adults that children can be left in the care of others and taken back later.
ReplyDeleteNice roots, sweetie. All that money and entourage and she didn't drag along a stylist? Or at least a bottle of Nice N Easy?
ReplyDeleteLots of homeless abandoned children in the U.S. and Britain, or does Madonna(and other celebs) always go for 3rd world country little ones where the mother FOR SURE is dead,dead,dead. We wouldn't want anyone banging on the door 15 years form now would we?
ReplyDeleteI am sure if Madonna gives the grandmother enough cash & a copy of her Sex book, she will shut up.
ReplyDeleteLutefisk.. the book might make gram think twice about raising her gchild. I know I wouldn't want her raising SeaMonkeys let alone a child that was related to me. ;)
ReplyDelete@lutefisk:
ReplyDeleteor maybe g-ma will whack her over the head with that sex book and cackle gleefully as she waddles away with the cash!!
Way to make it even more difficult for people who want to adopt using proper legal channels, asshole. God I hate Madonna.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Psychos Are Nuts. I think it is a cultural thing. We have Nigerian friends and they have a 6 year old son who they send on a plane to his relatives in Nigeria for MONTHS at a time. Now I would never do that, but they have no problem with it. The kid is totally cool with it. Doesn't mean they don't love their son (they DO!), just that it's the way they do things.
ReplyDeleteAnd Madonna needs to spend a few bucks touching up her roots. That looks beyond trashy.
Disturbing that she's trying to circumvent Malawi's rules in place for foreigners to adopt. Malawi is a signatory of the Hague Convention, I think, and this situation goes against it.
ReplyDeleteMadonna would never be approved for a special needs child here in the US, so the many kids who've already had parental rights terminated would not be available to her.
Hopefully Madonna's attempt to adopt another little kaffir will be blocked. It should be against the law for anyone - even rich celebs - to import hoodrats into America. fromwembleypark.com
ReplyDelete