Madonna denies adopting two children from Malawi: 'It's not true'

Madonna has denied reports that she has applied for permission to adopt two children from Malawi. When pressed on the claims, a rep for the US pop star exclusively told IBTimes UK: "It's not true."

The 58-year-old was said to have appeared at the Lilongwe High Court to make an application for the adoption. According to the reports, Madonna allegedly appeared before Justice Fiona Mwale on 25 January accompanied by two unidentified children and flanked by a security team.

According to reports, a court spokesman Mlenga Mvula told the the singer it would take a week for the outcome, saying: "The court is looking at the application now to determine whether Madonna can adopt these two children. The... process requires the court to make a ruling on the adoption."

Madonna is already mother to two adopted children – David Banda, 11, and Mercy James, also 11, whom she adopted in 2006 and 2009 respectively. The US pop star is also mother to two biological children, Lourdes, 20, and Rocco, 16.

Explaining her decision to adopt children from Malawi, Madonna told Harper's Bazaar in 2013: "I decided that I had an embarrassment of riches and that there were too many children in the world without parents or families to love them. I applied to an international adoption agency and went through all the bureaucracy, testing, and waiting that everyone else goes through when they adopt."

Over the years, Madonna has received criticism for choosing to adopt from an African country. Addressing the backlash, the singer continued: "I was accused of kidnapping, child trafficking, using my celebrity muscle to jump ahead in the line, bribing government officials, witchcraft, you name it."

"This was an eye-opening experience. I could get my head around people giving me a hard time for... publishing my Sex book, even kissing Britney Spears at an awards show, but trying to save a child's life was not something I thought I would be punished for."