Madonna is the mother of six kids. However, she only birthed 2 of them. Her adoption and motherhood journey will surprise many! Read on to know more.

Madonna and her kids (PC: Instagram/ Madonna)

Madonna is known for her chart-topping hits, great onstage performances, and diverse family. She has six kids: Lourdes, Rocco, David, Mercy, Stella, and Estere. The Like a Prayer singer got the initials of all of her kids’ tattooed on her wrist in December 2020.

People are often curious to know more about how this family came to be, and today, it’s time to reveal that.

Lourdes Leon (27 years old)

Madonna’s first child, Lourdes Leon, was born on October 14, 1996, in Los Angeles. Back then, she had welcomed her daughter with her then-boyfriend and fitness instructor, Carlos Leon.

Since Lourdes was the first, it looks like, in some ways, she was also the favorite as well. Madonna even wrote a song for her on her 1998 album, Ray of Light. The song was called Little Star and the album also won her a Grammy!

So, what does she think of her popular mom? Well, Lourdes revealed during a chat with Interview Magazine that Madonna was quite a “control freak” when she was growing up. Something she jokes that she has inherited as well.

However, as she has grown up, her relationship with her mother has blossomed. Now, Lourdes sees her mother as an empowering woman who was “ahead of her time.”

At 27 years old, Lourdes is a model and has worked for multiple high-profile brands, including Marc Jacobs, Swarovski, Dion Lee, Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty line, Burberry, and more.

Lourdes has also begun following in the footsteps of her singer mother by releasing her first single, Lock & Key, in August 2022.

Rocco Ritchie (24 years old)

In May 1997, Madonna split from Carlos Leon and after that, she began dating Guy Ritchie the next year. Rocco Ritchie, their son, was born on August 11, 2000, in Los Angeles. Madonna and Ritchie did get married, but they divorced in 2008.

In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres in 2012, Rocco revealed that his mom was strict with him but was “a good mother.” Back then, he was touring with her and was working with a tutor to complete his schooling.

Later on, Rocco decided to attend a traditional school and live with her famous father in London. This caused a rift between him and his mom, as well as a custody battle between his parents. But by June 2016, all seemed to be well.

During a concert in March 2016 in New Zealand, Madonna dedicated the song La Vie en Rose to him. As per Closer Weekly, she also said, “There’s no love stronger than a mother for her son, and if I talk about him too much, I’m going to cry.”

Now, Rocco works as an actor and model. Also, he is quite a talented painter.

David Banda (18 years old)

David Banda was born in Malawi on September 24, 2005.

In 2006, Madonna founded Raising Malawi, her charitable organization. In October, she visited the country for a humanitarian trip and there, she and her then-husband, Guy Ritchie, decided to adopt the 1-year-old David from another orphanage called Home of Hope located in Lilongwe in the capital city.

As per Closer Weekly, David was reportedly battling pneumonia at that time.

However, the adoption wasn’t smooth because Madonna and Ritchie failed to fulfill one important pre-requisite for the adoption: residency. Malawi’s rules state that adoptive parents have to stay in the nation for a minimum of 18 months.

This gives the parents residency when it is necessary for a legal adoption. However, the family overcame this hurdle and the adoption was approved on May 28, 2008.

Today, David has embraced his unique journey and shares a strong bond with his siblings. In a 2019 interview with British Vogue, she revealed that David is the most like her among all of her kids.

She said, “[He’s] the one I have the most in common with. I feel like he gets me; he has more of my DNA than any of my children so far.”

She also gushed about his soccer skills and admitted in an interview with Graham Norton in June 2019 that it would perhaps be easier for her if he just wanted to be a singer. But Madonna later clarified that she doesn’t see it as a disappointment but just as “a challenge.”

As for his soccer games, Madonna said that she only watches her son play. So what does she do when he is on the bench? Well, then she’s on her phone.