Madonna Louise Ciccone has been a prominent cultural figure in both the 20th and 21st centuries. Often referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she is known internationally for her reinvention and versatility in music. She consistently pushes the boundaries of artistic expression which often incorporate social, political and religious themes. Her music videos have generated both controversy and critical acclaim and has received seven Grammys.
The pop icon welcomed her first child, Lourdes, in 1996 with actor Carlos Leon. She grew her brood with the additions of son Rocco, 22, with director Guy Ritchie. She later adopted David, 17, Mercy, 16, and twins Stella and Estere, 10, from Malawi. In 2017, Madonna appeared on the cover of PEOPLE and opened up about her life at home with her children and her emotional adoption journey. "Sometimes I would just close my eyes and just think, 'Why isn't my kitchen filled with dancing children?' There's so many children that need a home," she said. "I thought, 'What am I waiting for? Just do it.'"
On 22 December 2000, Ritchie married Madonna at Skibo Castle in Scotland. Madonna gave birth to their son, Rocco in L.A. on Aug. 11, 2000. He was christened in Scotland at Dornoch Cathedral in December 2000. Sadly, Madonna and Ritchie dIvorced in 2008. The "Material Girl" singer filed for divorce in October 2008, citing irreconcilable differences. Describing his famous mom, Rocco told Ellen DeGeneres in 2012, "She's a good mother … She's very strict but in a good way."
But in 2015, Madonna and her eldest son's relationship soured. Rocco Ritchie was reportedly said to have grown upset after being on the road for two months on the popstar’s Rebel Heart tour where he worked backstage.
The row became public when Madonna, 57, went to court in New York to try and force Rocco to return to the US to spend Christmas with her. Rocco had decided to go to England to spend the holiday with his father instead. But since then, Rocco and Madonna's relationship has improved significantly, with sources citing magician and family friend David Blaine as one of the reasons.
Madonna Was Accused Of 'Embarrassing' Son Rocco Ritchie
In 2015, Rocco Ritchie fled his mom's Rebel Heart tour and went to England to be with his father Guy. Fans speculated that Rocco's decision came after Madonna's insistence on embarrassing him by posting awkward photos of him on Instagram. The "Like A Prayer" singer posted one video of him doing a backflip wearing orange underwear with the caption, "Rocco’s preferred profile #nosausage."
Madonna later gave Rocco a girly makeover and posted a picture of him with his long dyed blonde hair in bunches, whilst he appeared to cringe. She captioned read: "Blonde Ambition! #rebelhearttour." In an interview, Madonna admitted that Rocco did not want to perform on stage with her and would be working backstage on her tour as "your mom is not cool" at his age.
Guy Ritchie and Madonna soon entered a custody battle of the then 15-year-old Rocco. According to the New York Daily News, a lawyer representing Guy Ritchie said the teen "has expressed very clearly that he does not want to return to New York." Another reports suggest that one of the factors behind Rocco’s rift with his mum is how strict she is when it comes to his schoolwork.
A source told The Mirror, that Madonna wasn’t happy with the amount of time Rocco was spending on his phone, stating: “Madonna is quite firm with Rocco and she took his phone from him when it interfered with his studies. She is stricter than Guy and Rocco doesn’t like it. When she took the phone away, it pushed him over the edge.” It was also reported that Rocco blocked his mother on Instagram, preventing her from seeing any of his uploads.
Madonna Cried On Stage Over Her Son And Projected His Image On A Huge Screen
After the public legal battle, Madonna made more headlines after crying during a concert. She performed in front of a large projected image of her son Rocco while on stage in Melbourne. The "Frozen" artist dedicated her song “Intervention” to her son. According to the BBC, she introduced the song by tearfully telling the crowd: “There’s no end to the mistakes I’ve made. Everybody knows the saga of me and my son Rocco. It’s not a fun story to tell or think about."
“I probably could have enjoyed myself a little bit more on this tour if he hadn’t disappeared so suddenly, and also if I knew when I would see him again. I want to dedicate this next song to him, to Rocco,” the mother of six said tearfully. Madonna also became visibly upset during a performance in New Zealand when she dedicated the song “La Vie en Rose” to Rocco and told the audience: “I hope he heard this somewhere and knows how much I miss him.”
David Blaine Reportedly Helped Madonna Heal Her Relationship With Rocco Ritchie
Thankfully Madonna and Rocco's relationship is much better than it once was. Sources close to the family cite her friend, magician David Blaine for helping to patch up their relationship. Madonna posted a picture of her family skiing in the Swiss Alps with Blaine. Also in the snap were Madonna's children Rocco, Lourdes, David and Mercy and a large crew. They posed in front of a mountain on during their annual trip.
Madonna was romantically linked to Blaine, 49, and he has also remained friends with Madonna's ex Guy, 54, and acted like a "go-between" in the pair’s custody battle.
A source told The Mirror: “Madonna and David have been friends for a long time and she’s reached out to him to speak to Rocco who thinks David is really cool. David helped Rocco with work experience a few years ago so Rocco looks up to him."
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