~Crazy~ For Her Kids! Madonna Has 6 Biological and Adopted Children: Meet Them, See Where They Are Today
Big family! When she’s not making music as the Queen of Pop, Madonna is busy with her six kids. Keep reading to learn more about Madonna’s biological and adopted children.
How Many Biological Children Does Madonna Have?
Madonna dated fitness trainer Carlos Leon from 1994 to 1997. The former couple welcomed daughter Lourdes on October 14, 1996. Lourdes has followed in her mother’s footsteps, becoming passionate about dance and fashion. She went to school at the University of Michigan and studied dance at the SUNY Purchase dance conservatory. Today, Lourdes is a fashion model, and Madonna is seriously proud of her daughter.
“I’m green with envy because she’s incredible at everything she does — she’s an incredible dancer, she’s a great actress, she plays the piano beautifully, she’s way better than me in the talent department,” the “Material Girl” singer told British Vogue of her “insanely talented” daughter in May 2019.
Madonna gave birth to her second child, Rocco Ritchie, with ex-husband Guy Ritchie on August 11, 2000, although she and Guy were not married at the time. Madonna and Guy went through a custody battle over Rocco, and Rocco spent a lot of time with his father in London. Today, Rocco is a painter.
On June 24, 2023, Madonna was hospitalized in New York City due to a “serious bacterial infection,” according to her manager Guy Oseary. Lourdes was reportedly by Madonna’s side for one night of her hospital stay, according to Mirror. Meanwhile, photos obtained by Page Six showed Rocco and his brother, David Banda, arriving at Madonna’s apartment in the city amid her health scare.
How Many Adopted Children Does Madonna Have?
In addition to her two biological children, Madonna has adopted four kids: David, Mercy James, and twins Estere and Stella Ciccone. David was born in September 2005, and Madonna adopted him from the Home of Hope orphanage in Lilongwe, Malawi, in 2008. At the time, she said she felt a connection with David, who was battling malaria and pneumonia. Fans of the singer may recall that the media claimed she kidnapped David.
“Every newspaper said I kidnapped him,” Madonna told People in 2017. “In my mind, I was thinking, ‘Wait a minute. I’m trying to save somebody’s life. Why are you all s–ting on me right now?’”
Mercy, another Malawi native, was born in January 2006, and Madonna adopted her in 2009. Madonna later founded a hospital in Malawi, naming it after her daughter: The Mercy James Institute for Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care.
Finally, Estere and Stella were born in August 2012. Madonna adopted the girls from Malawi in 2017.
What Has Madonna Said About Being a Parent?
Madonna loves being a mother to her children, and the experience of adopting four kids was incredibly important to her, as she explained to People.
“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 of what led her to adopt. “I thought, ‘What am I waiting for? Just do it.’”
In July 2023, one month after her hospitalization, Madonna took to Instagram to reflect on the “love from friends and family” she has received. She gave a shout-out to her kids for being there in her time of need.
“As a Mother you can really get caught up in the needs of your children and the seemingly endless giving,” she wrote. “But when the chips were down my children really showed up for me. I saw a side to them I had never seen before. It made all the difference.”
