Madonna on adoption v childbirth

Madonna. Photo / Reuters

Madonna says her efforts to adopt a child in Malawi and the ridicule she faced in the press had been as difficult as childbirth, but she was confident of soon winning permanent custody.

The 49-year-old pop star, who was in Cannes, said: "It was painful and it was a big struggle and I didn't understand it but in the end, I rationalised that, when a woman has a child and goes through natural childbirth, she suffers an enormous amount."