Madonna, often called the “Queen of Pop,” recently reflected on motherhood, describing it as “equal parts joy and suffering.”
On Instagram, the mother of six shared a quote she said she came across at a Louise Bourgeois exhibition in Tokyo on New Year’s Eve: “I have been to hell and back and let me tell you it was wonderful.” Madonna used this quote to express the challenges of balancing life as a mother and an artist. Despite acknowledging the struggles, she said she “can’t imagine living any other life” and extended gratitude and praise to others embracing bravery, leaving a hopeful message for 2025.
“In 2025 I raise a glass to anyone who has the courage to be their authentic selves,” she closed out her message in the caption of the Instagram post. The 66-year-old’s post included glimpses of celebrity attendees, as well as her children, like fashion model Lourdes Leon, sons Rocco Ritchie and David Banda, and others from what seemed to be a festive celebration. You can check out her post below:
Madonna and Her Journey of Motherhood
Other than being a global icon, Madonna is also a devoted mother, known for her compassion, especially towards children facing hardship. Her family includes both biological and adopted children, each with their unique story and connection to her life.
Madonna’s first child, Lourdes, was born in 1996 to Madonna and Carlos Leon, followed by Rocco John Ritchie, whom she had with her ex-husband, English film director Guy Ritchie. Her family grew when she adopted David Banda in 2006 from the Home of Hope orphanage in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe. David was suffering from pneumonia and malaria at the time, and Madonna recalled feeling an “instant connection” with him.
In 2017, Madonna adopted twin sisters, Estere and Stella, also from Malawi. She relocated to Lisbon, Portugal, with them the same year.
But surprisingly, Madonna faced criticism and challenges during her adoption journey. When she brought David back to London in 2008, tabloids accused her of “kidnapping” him, leaving her heartbroken.
Madonna’s adoption process was not without controversy even in Malawi. As she and Ritchie were divorced, she encountered resistance from Malawian officials when she sought to adopt Mercy James, a child she had met at the same time as David. Despite being labeled “unfit” due to her recent divorce, Madonna won her appeal and successfully adopted Mercy. Malawian law traditionally requires prospective adoptive parents to live in the country for a year. While Madonna did not meet this requirement, she argued that no formal adoption laws for foreign parents existed, ultimately winning her case.
Her connection to Malawi runs deep. After her first visit in 2006, she called the country her “second home” and founded Raising Malawi, a nonprofit supporting education and healthcare for orphans. In 2017, she opened the Mercy James Centre for Pediatric Surgery and Intensive Care, Malawi’s first children’s hospital.
Despite her fame, Madonna takes an active role in parenting. Lourdes, her eldest, revealed in an interview with Interview Magazine in 2021 that Madonna was a “control freak” while raising her. However, Lourdes later shared with The Cut in 2022 that she was raised to value independence and avoid falling into the “nepo baby” stereotype.
Parenting six children while maintaining her career hasn’t been easy. In a 2023 interview with Vanity Fair, Madonna described motherhood as her “hardest battle” and likened raising children to “a work of art” without a manual. “You have to learn from mistakes,” she said. “It is a profession that requires a lot of time. And it is exhausting because there is never rest.”
Madonna also shared that while she never pressured her children to follow artistic paths, she exposed them to the arts, and she’s proud that they’ve found their own ways to express themselves.
Published: Jan 3, 2025 07:38 am