Madonna's Adoption DENIED!

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

03 Apr 2009 05:47 AM

I guess money and fame can't get you everything in life.

It's a lesson that apparently came as a HUGE shock to Madonna today after a judge declined her adoption request.

According to reports, a residency requirement in Malawi has prevented the Material Girl from flying back to New York with the 3-year-old girl, who she wanted to adopt as her own. Reports say the residency requirement for prospective parents is 18 to 24 months in Malawi. Madonna has homes in New York and London, but does not have a residence in Malawi despite the fact that she adopted her 3-year-old son, David Banda, from the African nation in 2008. The residency rule was waived in 2006, when Madonna was allowed to take David to London before his adoption was finalized last year.

A girl named Chifundo "Mercy" James would have been the second child adopted by the newly-single Madonna, but it doesn't look as though the singing sensation will get her way after all. However, some publications are reporting that the 50-year-old pop superstar plans to appeal the ruling to Malawi's Supreme Court.

Reports are not clear as to why the judge decided to rule differently in Madonna's case this time around, but some speculate that there was much more controversy surrounding Mercy's adoption than David's.

Activists in Malawi maintained the little girl would be best off with relatives. However, in court papers made public today, Madonna said Mercy's grandmother was unable to care for her.

The documents noted that Madonna had promised to make Mercy a permanent part of her family saying, "To deny Chifundo James the opportunity to be adopted by me could expose her to hardship and emotional trauma which is otherwise avoidable."

According to court records, the girl's mother died at age 14 just days after her baby was born on January 22, 2006.

Yesterday Malawi's child welfare minister endorsed Madonna's adoption application saying: "We have close to 2 million orphans in Malawi who need help. We can't look after all of them as a country. If people like Madonna adopt even one such orphan, it's one mouth less we have to feed."

Unfortunately for Madonna there were thousands of others who criticized her adoption attempts, saying that adoption should be the last resort and that children need to be taken care of by their own family. Critics also accused the singer turned actress of using her fame and money to fast track the adoption process.

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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