Madonna appeared on NBC's Dateline to chat with Meredith Vieira about her adoption of baby David, her new book and that crucifixion scene that NBC cut out of her new special.
On the plight of Africa:
Madonna: When I went to Africa, I was reduced to floods of tears every day.
Vieira: Did you even imagine what you would see?
Madonna: I knew about the horror. The, you know, what was going on there. But you don't know until you get there. You don't really know until you see, you know, a child laying listlessly on the pavement, you know, in a pool of urine with flies buzzing around their head.
Or children wandering around like in a comatose state with like really distended bellies. And you know, women sitting on the fronts of porches of their little huts, you know, with Kaposi's lesions all over their bodies.
On her offer to David's father to give him money so he could raise his own son, instead of her adopting him:
Vieira: In this whole process, did it ever cross your mind, did you ever think, "Well, you know, I have the resources to help David's dad. He's a poor farmer." He's David's dad. Reunite David with his dad?
Madonna: You're absolutely right. And I offered that in court when I met him. And he didn't want that. When I met him, I said "I would be happy to facilitate with you to bring him back to your village and help you financially raise him." And he said no. I couldn't really understand that decision.
On the possibility that the criticism of her is racially motivated:
Madonna: I think a lot of people have a problem with the fact that I've adopted an African child, a child who has a different color skin than I do.
Vieira: You think that's what got people riled up?
Madonna: I think there's an aspect of that, yeah. I think it's still considered taboo. You know, I have people say to me on the streets when I'm walking down the street, "Why did you adopt a black child?"
Vieira: They come out and say this to you?
Madonna: Oh yeah, definitely. Yeah.
Vieira: And what do you say?
Madonna: I don't say anything. I don't dignify their question with a reply.
It was an interesting interview. We say: thumbs up, Madonna!
Madonna appeared on NBC's Dateline to chat with Meredith Vieira about her adoption of baby David, her new book and that crucifixion scene that NBC cut out of her new special.
On the plight of Africa:
