Madonna’s children have the privilege of being born into fame. The pop star is a proud mom of six, having welcomed her first child, Lourdes, in 1996 before expanding the family with the additions of Rocco, David, Mercy, and twins Stella and Estere.
Being a mother of one has its challenges, but Madonna has had to cater for six kids, a feat she has affirmed has not been easy. The singer told Vanity Fair in January 2023 that motherhood “has been the most difficult, the hardest battle.”
She implied that raising kids was a never-ending learning process and a “work of art,” even if “no one gives you a manual.” “You have to learn from mistakes. It is a profession that requires a lot of time. And it is exhausting because there is never rest,” she said.
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Does Madonna Have Any Adoptive Children?
Yes, four of Madonna’s children were adopted. In 2017, Madonna was featured on the cover of PEOPLE, during which she opened up about motherhood and her emotional adoption journey.
“Sometimes I would just close my eyes and just think, ‘Why isn’t my kitchen filled with dancing children?’ There’s so many children that need a home,” she said. “I thought, ‘What am I waiting for? Just do it.'”
In December 2020, the talented singer honored all her children by getting each of their initials on her wrist—her first tattoo.
How Many Children Does Madonna Have?
Madonna has up to six children. Four were adopted from Malawi, while the other two are her biological children.
Who Are Madonna’s Children?
Lourdes
Lourdes is the product of Madonna’s relationship with her then-boyfriend, fitness trainer Carlos Leon. They welcomed her on October 14, 1996, in Los Angeles, and she quickly became the light of her life.
Madonna dedicated “Little Star,” a song on her 1998 Grammy-winning album Ray of Light, to her firstborn. Lourdes is now a successful fashion model, having worked for Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty line, Burberry, Marc Jacobs, Swarovski, and Mugler, and has been featured in Vogue and Vanity Fair.
On her upbringing, Lourdes admitted her famous mom was “a control freak” when she was a kid. However, she now has nothing but admiration for “how empowering to other women and ahead of her time she has always been.”
Rocco
After her split from Carlos Leon in May 1997, Madonna entered a relationship with director Guy Ritchie in 1998. Their son, Rocco Ritchie, was born in L.A. on August 11, 2000, and christened in Scotland at Dornoch Cathedral in December 2000.
Madonna and Guy Ritchie got married the next day at Skibo Castle but split in 2008. “She’s a good mother … She’s very strict but in a good way,” Rocco told Ellen DeGeneres of his mom in 2012. Rocco is a model, actor, and talented painter. His most recent art exhibition took place in Miami.
David Banda
David Banda was born in Malawi on September 24, 2005. He became one of Madonna’s children via adoption.
The pop star and Guy Ritchie decided to take him in 2006 during a humanitarian trip to Malawi, where she founded her charitable organization Raising Malawi. They found him at Home of Hope, an orphanage in the capital city of Lilongwe, in October 2006.
The adoption did not go smoothly, as the couple faced legal repercussions. Malawi requires adoptive parents to live in the country for at least 18 months to become residents, and residency is a prerequisite to legal adoption. The adoption was eventually approved on May 28, 2008.
Madonna may have adopted David but confessed that “he has more of my DNA than any of my children so far.”
Mercy
Chifundo “Mercy” James was also adopted, but she was originally born in Malawi on January 22, 2006. Madonna applied to adopt Mercy in 2009 after she settled her divorce from Guy Ritchie. The High Court initially rejected her application, but she was later allowed to adopt Mercy on June 12, 2009.
Twins Stella and Estere
Twins Stella and Estere were also born in Malawi on August 24, 2012. Madonna adopted the two girls when they were 5 in February 2017. “It’s like they were always here,” the “Swept Away” star told PEOPLE about their acclimatization. “It didn’t take long for them to get acclimated.”
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Who Is Madonna’s Baby Daddy?
Madonna has two baby daddies. The first is Carlos Leon, whom she shares Lourdes with, while the second is Guy Ritchie, who fathered Rocco.
Madonna was with Leon in the mid-1990s, but after they split, she moved on with Guy Ritchie, which led to Rocco’s birth. They were married for about eight years. However, she is currently with a man named Akeem Morris, but only time will tell where the relationship will lead.
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