Queen of Pop to the rest of the world, Madonna goes by the name of mom to six people. The 63-year-old star has two biological children -- Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon, 25, and Rocco Ritchie, 21 -- and four adoptive ones: David Banda, 16, Mercy James, 15, and twins Estere and Stelle Ciccone, 9.
While Madge isn't the only celebrity to turn to adoption, it wasn't smooth sailing for the pop icon as she strived to expand her family following birth complications due to placenta praevia. In her case, it was precisely her celebrity status that posed the most hurdles, with a Malawi judge even deeming her an "unfit mother" when she went through the process back in 2009.
The "Material Girl" hitmaker, who often shares endearing snaps of her brood on Instagram, opened up about her adoption struggles in a compelling essay for Harper's Bazaar. Keep reading for the full story.