Madonna 'blames media' for adoption row
Madonna's interview with Oprah will be screened today
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Wednesday, 25, Oct 2006 07:49
Madonna has suggested that the media are to blame for the controversy that has erupted surrounding her planned adoption of a Malawian baby, according to audience members privy to her interview yesterday with chat show host Oprah Winfrey.
The queen of pop told the queen of daytime television that she believed media pressure had led the father of 13-month-old David Banda to change his story about his feelings towards the adoption of his son, audience members said following the taping of the show.
In the interview, which will be screened in the US today, Madonna spoke to Oprah via a satellite link from London.
Speaking after the filming of the interview, audience member Brook Carter, 24, told People magazine that Madonna had expressed her "frustration" with the media over the controversial adoption.
"She's frustrated with the media because she believes it's the pressure of the media that's prompting the father to change his story," said Carter.
Carter added that Madonna had recalled a meeting with Yohane Banda in which the father of her intended new son had apparently told the star he was "thankful" to her for giving baby David a future.
Fellow audience member Sheryl Lewis also told ABC News that Madonna had expressed surprise at the attention and controversy her planned adoption of the child had attracted.
Comments reportedly made by the singer come after Mr Banda cast doubt on Madonna's plans to bring up his son David earlier this week when he told the AP news agency that he did not realise Madonna wanted to fully adopt the baby.
Mr Banda, who lives in the Malawian village of Lipunga, had previously defended the star against the claims of human rights groups in Malawi that Madonna by-passed the country's usual adoption laws in order to gain the right to bring up the child; claims which have subsequently led to the filing of a legal challenge against the planned adoption.
Baby David was recently flown to Britain to live with Madonna after a Malawian judge granted her and husband Guy Ritchie temporary custody of the child.
Meanwhile, reports claim that the star is planning to ask actor Rupert Everett to be the baby's godfather.
The Sun newspaper said earlier this week that Madonna had decided to ask her famous friend to do the duty as a result of his experience working in Africa with Aids victims.