Madonna has shared a video of her newly-adopted twins singing with their sister.
The ‘Hung Up’ singer recently took on the care of four-year-old Estere and Stelle – who were living in an orphanage in Malawi – and it seems they are settling into their new life well.
Madonna posted a clip of the youngsters, wearing matching blue and white striped pyjamas singing nursery rhyme ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’ while accompanied by 11-year-old Mercy on piano.
She captioned the Instagram post with a string of star emojis and the words: "A little night music."
Her post came shortly after the twins’ father, Adam Mwale – who was in court for the adoption hearing earlier this month – claimed he was misled about the official agreement as he thought his children would be returned to him one day.
He said: "I was told from the start that Esther and Stella were going to a rich woman’s home abroad, that she would give them a good education, then return them to me, to live with me and help all of my family.
"Now you are telling me the adoption is permanent. That cannot be true – I don’t want it to be true. I am their father and I will always be their father."
Adam claims he was told Madonna wanted to take the twins and educate them and when he consulted his late wife’s family, they agreed it would be a fantastic opportunity for the girls and he should go ahead.
The 40-year-old farmer – whose wife Patricia died while giving birth to the twins – claimed a court appointed guardian told "terrible lies" and told the judge he had abandoned his family, including five other children aged between eight and 20, to marry another woman.
But he told the Mail on Sunday newspaper: "It was me who took the girls to the orphanage after Patricia died. We had been happily married for many years. We had a good family life. But when she gave birth to the twins, she lost a lot of blood and died. The twins survived. I wanted the hospital to help but they said the orphanage was the best place. Everyone in the village knows I just wanted the best for them."
Adam remarried two years after Patricia’s death but still visited the twins regularly at the orphanage and worked to pay for their education.
He said: "I used to cycle there down a dirt road, taking two hours each way. I brought little dresses and gifts for them and they would sit on my lap, one twin on either side, and laugh and play with me. They call me Ababa [Daddy in the Malawi language Chechewa] and when they came home for holidays to the village, they loved to be with their brother and sisters."
And while the court procedure was taking place, Adam spent 12 days away with his daughters.
He recalled: "It was exciting. They were going to have a new life for a while, and it was a mixture of feelings for all of us. I thought it was the start of something new but temporary. I thought they would have a great education, which I could never afford, and that we would one day be together again. Deep down I still hope for a future with them. The orphanage boss told me not to discuss this, but now I am worried."
Dr Mary Shawa, from the Malawian ministry which processed the adoption said: "I can’t say why the guardian told the court that Mr Mwale had abandoned his children. The judge said that was wrong."
The adoption of the twins by the 58-year-old star – who also has kids Lourdes, 20, and Rocco, 16, as well as 11-year-old David, who, like the twins and Mercy was adopted from Malawi – will be made permanent in 12 months time, subject to court approval.
Madonna shares video of twins
