CANNES, France — Madonna says her adoption of a Malawian boy has been similar to the pains of an actual childbirth.
"It was painful, and it was a big struggle, and I didn't understand it," the "4 Minutes" singer told the Associated Press of the criticism she's received from her attempted adoption of 2-year-old David Banda.
"But in the end, I rationalized that when a woman has a child and goes through natural childbirth, she suffers an enormous amount," she added. "So I sort of went through my own kind of birthing pains with dealing with the press on my front doorstep accusing me of kidnapping or whatever you want to call it."
David has been living in London with Madonna and her husband, Guy Ritchie, since 2006. However, Malawian adoption laws state that parents must undergo an 18- to 24-month assessment period inside the country, a rule that the 49-year-old pop star was able to avoid.
Madonna is currently at the Cannes Film Festival for "I Am Because We Are," her documentary that shows the devastation facing many of the children, including David, in Malawi.
A ruling on the finalization of the adoption is expected in the coming week, something Madonna is readily looking forward to.
"Hopefully, after we get through this adoption, it will be easier for people to adopt children," she said.
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