'Nepotism babies are pretty awful.' What we know about Madonna's six kids. 

One thing's for sure: Madonna’s life isn't slowing down anytime soon. 

The singer – who recently celebrated her 64th birthday in Italy with her six kids – has just announced her world tour, 'The Celebration'. 

Earlier this week, Madonna wiped her Instagram account clean and dropped a video announcing the tour. She was joined by some familiar faces including Bob The Drag Queen, Diplo, Judd Apatow, Jack Black, Lil Wayne, Kate Berlant, Larry Owens, Meg Stalter and Eric Andre.

The tour will include a mix of her greatest hits to celebrate 40 years in music. But unfortunately, she won't be coming to Australia. 

Watch Madonna's 'The Celebration Tour' announcement. Post continues after video.

With the latest announcement, we thought it perfect timing to unpack the complicated and fantastical lives of the Material Girl singer and her packed household. 

Lourdes Leon, aka “Lola”, 26.

Lourdes is the singer’s oldest daughter, with her father being Madonna’s former personal trainer Carlos Leon. 

While this may come as a surprise for many, according to Lourdes, Madonna is a pretty strict mum.

"The list of things I wasn’t allowed to do is never-ending," she said in an open conversation with Interview Magazine.

"My mum is such a control freak, and she has controlled me my whole life."

There’s not much of a leg up available for Madonna’s kids once they reach a certain age, with the children expected to be financially independent when they’ve graduated from high school. She’s not the only celebrity with that expectation. 

"We don’t get any handouts in my family. Obviously, I grew up with extreme privilege. There’s no denying that."

“I think my mum saw all these other kids of famous people, and she was like, ‘my kids are not going to be like this’. Also, I feel like if your parents pay for things, then it gives them leverage over you.”

Lourdes was in attendance at the Met Gala in 2021, but she didn’t exactly have glowing reviews of the experience. 

“I’m really grateful to have been able to go. Maybe because it was my first time, but it felt crazy,” she shared in the interview. “You’re just shoved into a room with all these famous people and you’re supposed to talk to them and be their friend, even though you don’t f**king know them. That’s not my vibe. I didn’t know who the f**k to talk to. I felt so awkward that I literally called my boyfriend in the middle of it, but the dinner was fine.”Image: Getty. 

For quite some time, Lourdes shied away from the spotlight, mostly because of how insanely popular her mum is. 

“I’ve been judged from a young age, but I think that privacy is the reason why I was able to keep my wits about me and not find myself in a mental asylum. I want to figure out who the f**k I am before I let anyone else try to tell me who I am, you know?”

Lourdes studied performing arts but has had most success as a model. As well as walking the runway, she’s featured in ad campaigns for Miu Miu, Stella McCartney and more. 

Apparently, mum was cautiously concerned when it came to Lourdes pursuing modelling. 

"As a 'model', you’re basically relying on your looks. It can feel very overwhelming, and can potentially cause a lot of insecurity. Obviously, you’re not going to look the same your whole life," she explained.

"My mum is very insistent on making me think about what I want to be known for beyond my looks. That’s not what I want people to remember me by. It’s not real."

In 2019 Lourdes hit headlines after taking part in a simulated orgy at a Miami fashion show. She kissed and undressed another female model, while other models writhed near-naked around them, as part of Desigual’s "Love Different" show.

It ultimately brought back memories of Madonna kissing Britney Spears at the 2003 MTV VMAs, or stripping off for her 1992 book Sex, or... well, any number of other headline-grabbing moments in her career.

Leon also revealed in Interview Magazine that as she’s gotten older, she’s come to appreciate her mother’s music. 

"I’m increasingly able to recognise how influential and amazing this woman is, and how empowering to other women and ahead of her time she has always been," she described. "I didn’t fully comprehend that until I realised the importance of empowerment and what it means to be a woman. She’s probably the hardest worker I’ve ever seen."

While Lourdes may come from a privileged upbringing, she says she was "raised" to be smarter than riding off of her mother's coattails.  

"I want to feel like I deserve things and not just like I’ve been given things," she told The Cut in November 2022. "And, yes, there’s undeniable privilege that I’d be stupid to not realise. Nepotism babies are pretty awful usually, and my mom and my father raised me to be so much smarter than that."

In November of last year, Lourdes released her debut EP under the stage name 'Lolahol'.

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Rocco Ritchie, 22.

Madonna’s son Rocco, who she shares with British movie director Guy Ritchie, has been through a bit of a rocky patch with his mum.

He went on tour with her when he was 14 and 15, even dancing in her show, but then decided he would rather live with his dad in the UK.

There was a custody battle, and at one point, Rocco took a dig at Madonna online. On a video of his mum with his siblings, he posted, “So glad I don’t live here anymore.”

Image: Getty. 

In 2016, Rocco was arrested for possession of cannabis. However, he seems to have settled down since then, enrolling in a fine arts course and trying his hand at acting.

Rocco was also featured in a recent photoshoot with The Rake magazine. 

The August 2021 feature showcases the world’s finest luxury menswear, with Rocco apparently noting, “the most elegant clothes money can buy are not wasted on the young.” 

David Banda, 17.

David was adopted from Malawi in 2006. He’s shown an incredible talent for football, and at 12, he won a spot in the Portuguese football club Benfica’s youth academy. Madonna moved the family to Lisbon, Portugal, so he could take up the opportunity.

"I’ve been desperate to get him into the best academies with the best coaches, but the level of football in America is much lower than the rest of the world," she told Vogue Italia.

Just like many parents, Madonna herself has grappled with the idea of when is the right time to let your child have a phone.

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A post shared by Estere & Stella @madonna (@cicconetwins)

"I’m going to stick that one out for as long as possible, because I made a mistake when I gave my older children phones when they were 13," she shared with British Vogue. "It ended my relationship with them, really. Not completely, but it became a very, very big part of their lives."

"They became too inundated with imagery and started to compare themselves to other people, and that’s really bad for self-growth."

In 2020, Madonna also revealed she had more in common with David than any of her other children.

"What he has more than anything is focus and determination," she said. "I’m pretty sure he got it from me."

Mercy James, 16.

Mercy was also adopted from Malawi, just three years after her David, in 2009.

In 2017, Madonna returned to Malawi to open the country’s first paediatric surgery and intensive care centre, which she named the Mercy James Centre. Mercy, clearly a fan of her mum, gave a speech where she described her as “the bomb”.

More recently, Mercy has been getting attention for her piano playing. Madonna regularly posts videos of her playing everything from Mozart to Chopin. 

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A post shared by Estere & Stella @madonna (@cicconetwins)

The 16-year-old is also a budding photographer, styling and shooting portraits of her family as a hobby. 

“All of my children are unique in their own ways,” Madonna said in her same interview with Vogue Italia. “What’s amazing is how resilient they are and how they embraced all things, especially music, dance and sports – things that connect them to other people makes adaptation easier."

Stella and Estere Ciccone, 10.

Madonna got to know the twin girls on her regular visits to Malawi and eventually decided to adopt them in 2017.

“Sometimes I would just close my eyes and just think, ‘Why isn’t my kitchen filled with dancing children?’” she explained to People.

Madonna most definitely got her dancing children. She regularly posts videos of Stella and Estere to Instagram, and it’s obvious they love to dance, sing and more.

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A post shared by Estere & Stella @madonna (@cicconetwins)

“With Stella and Estere, who were in an orphanage for four years; they’re so happy to join in, to help out, to be part of something whether it’s a small or a large group. They’re extremely resilient and full of life and joy,” Madonna said about the twins to Vogue Italia.

The twins recently celebrated their ninth birthdays, with photos posted to Instagram showcasing a heart-shaped chocolate cake, balloons, lots of cheek kisses and some present opening too. 

“Two beautiful souls who bring nothing but joy to everyone they meet,” Madonna posted. “So grateful to have you both in my life.”

This post was originally created on December 19, 2019 and has since been updated with new information.

Feature Image: Instagram/@madonna

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