Madonna defends adoption of 'abandoned' Malawi boy

Nov 2, 2006, 2:23 GMT

epa00841735 (FILES) Singer Madonna and daughter Lourdes arrive at the world premiere of \'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire\' at the Odeon cinema in London\'s Leicester Square, Sunday 06 November 2005. The "fast-tracking" of the adoption of 13-month-old David Banda by US pop diva Madonna is causing controversy in Malawi, Monday 16 October 2006. While some say it is a good thing that would ease the plight of Malawi\'s estimated one million Aids orphans, others fear it could set a bad precedent. EPA/DANIEL HAMBURY

London - US popstar Madonna said in a BBC interview Wednesday that she offered the father of her adopted Malawian baby boy financial help to keep him, but that the widower refused.

Speaking about her controversial adoption of 13-month-old David Banda for the first time on British television, the star also denied claims that the little boy had received regular visits from his father and grandmother while in an orphanage.

'I never met a granny and I was told ... that from the day he was left in the orphanage he was not visited by his extended family members and that's really why I became interested in him,' Madonna told the BBC's Newsnight programme.

The boy's father, 32-year-old peasant farmer Yohane Banda, had refused the offer of financial support for the boy, the 48-year-old superstar said.

'I offered that option to the father and he declined,' she told interviewer Kirsty Wark.

The popstar flew to the US with David, and her two other children, Rocco, aged six, and Lourdes, aged 10, earlier this week.

In numerous previous television appearances, including on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Madonna defended her decision to adopt the child.

She told the stations that she had been stunned by the media furore over the adoption, which had only 'hit' her when she got back to Britain.

'It was quite shocking,' she said.

Her BBC interview followed claims by David's father that the little boy was due to be adopted by another American family, but Madonna took him first.

'We were waiting for them both to come back to the village, but Madonna took him first. If these Americans had adopted him, no one would have ever caused this fuss and I could be living my life as normal,' Banda told Closer magazine.

He denied that David was an abandoned baby.

'He was very much loved,' said the father. 'These are lies Madonna is telling - she must be repeating someone's lies. I think people are jealous and are making things up about my family.'

But he insisted: 'I made the right decision. I am glad he's been adopted and every day I am happy knowing my son will lead a better life.'