Tonight Madonna says otherwise, denying that David was visited at all by members of his family. "I never met a granny and I was told... that from the day that he was left in the orphanage he was not visited by any extended family members and that's really why I became interested in him," she says.
The pop icon told a more romantic story of why she "became interested" in David to Access Hollywood. "His eyes. He just had a soulfulness and a knowing look in his eyes and the first time his head turned around and he looked into a camera, I was completely drawn to him and curious about him. He haunted me."
Back to the BBC interview: "If someone had said to me, 'His dad comes every week or his granny visits on a regular basis and he's well looked after,' I would not even have given it another thought ... His father lived 50 or 60km away, had no car, had no money and, as far as I was told, had remarried and moved on with his life."
Whether he did or did not visit his son in the orphanage, Yohane is singing Madonna's praises as if she were a true ray of light, or maybe a piece of heavy equipment. "Madonna was like a bulldozer who has cleared the way for a better life for my son," Banda is quoted as saying in an interview in tomorrow's edition of Germany's Bunte magazine.
The 48-year-old entertainer "explained to me that she wanted to adopt my son," Banda says in the interview. "She assured me she would take good care of David and raise him in peace. I told her that the most important thing for me was that she offered my son a good future. And then I agreed to the adoption."
Banda said he slaughtered a goat to celebrate with the whole family.
And what of the alternative offered up by Louise Richards of War on Want and others, who said the singer would have accomplished more by "helping [David's] father raise the child in Malawi and joining us and other charities pressing rich nations to keep their pledges to make poverty history"?
Article comments
1 - Charlie
Eric,
I find it difficult to ascertain enough facts about this story to make an educated judgement on the social, political or procedural propriety of the adoption.
Nevertheless, I sense that Madonna tried to navigate a very rough sea of conflicting information and emotion as best she could. Touched by a child's plight, she chose to adopt, love, nurture and raise him to health and happiness.
A simple affirmation of humanity, for which David's deceased mother might perhaps whisper a gentle "thank you", I would suggest.
2 - Eric Olsen
I believe I basically agree Charlie - it's all complicated by such messiness as this current PR campaign, which is clearly intended to change some perceptions and the overall tone. The "did he visit or did he not" aspect seems quite crucial to the story, and there are enough people who would know that it would seem like the "truth" should come out about it.
3 - Deano
At the end of the day - is the child better off? The answer is indisputibly yes.
4 - Eric Olsen
I don't think there has ever really been much doubt of that Deano - I think the question has been the "sustainability" of this kind of model, the "drop in the bucket" aspect
5 - Deano
Oh it's a highly unsustainable model.
Sometimes, even though you are shovelling the incoming tide with a fork, you still need to do it.
6 - Eric Olsen
I agree - she did fully commit herself and take a life-changing stand
7 - manny
madonna has won me back as a fan. i saw the former madonna the world fell in love with on dateline last night: strong, defiant, and bitchy. god bless her and i hope the people who tried to put a negative spin on this burn in hell.