Madonna has reportedly said she was surprised by the furore surrounding her attempted adoption of a Malawian baby in her first interview on the subject.
She blamed the media for the controversy and said she had acted lawfully, audience members at Oprah Winfrey's chat show said afterwards.The interview is to be shown on US television later.
David Banda was flown to the UK to live with Madonna after a Malawian judge granted a temporary custody order.
Audience member Sheryl Lewis told the Associated Press news agency that Madonna said she had been startled by reports claiming the boy's father did not realise he was giving up his son "for good"."She said she met with the father, she looked him in the eye," Ms Lewis said.The singer said she had "oral and written approval and now the press have gotten to" Yohane Banda.
Madonna's plan to adopt David has created headlines around the world.The Human Rights Consultative Committee of 67 Malawian organisations is beginning a legal challenge claiming that foreign adoptive parents should have lived in Malawi for a year and a half.
Mr Banda told Time magazine that he would not contest the adoption."I don't want my child, who is already gone, to come back. I will be killing his future," he was quoted as saying.But he earlier told the AP news agency that he initially thought Madonna would just "educate and take care of our son".
"I was never told that adoption means that David will no longer be my son - If I was told this, I would not have allowed the adoption."
Madonna funds six orphanages through her Raising Malawi charity and is setting up an orphanage for 4,000 children in a village outside the capital, Lilongwe.
BBC News online, Wednesday, 25 October 2006.
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