Madonna Speaks to Meredith Vieira About Recent Controversies  10/31/06

MADONNA SPEAKS OUT TO NBC NEWS' MEREDITH VIEIRA ABOUT THE RECENT CONTROVERSIES SURROUNDING HER HIGHLY SCRUTINIZED ADOPTION, LATEST TOUR, AND RELIGIOUS BELIEFS SAYING: "I WANT TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION"

Says David's Father Turned Down her Offer to Help Him Raise His Son

Interview to Air on "Today," on Wednesday, Nov. 1 and Thursday, Nov. 2 and in a Primetime Exclusive on "Dateline NBC," Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 10PM

NEW YORK - October 31, 2006 - In an interview airing Wednesday and Thursday on NBC News' "Today" and Wednesday on "Dateline NBC," Madonna tells NBC News' Meredith Vieira - "I want to be part of the solution." Madonna talks in detail about her controversial adoption of David, a 1-year-old boy from Malawi, her recent concert tour, and the continued scrutiny over her religious beliefs.

The interview will air on "Today," Wednesday, Nov.1 and Thursday, Nov. 2 (7-10 a.m. ET/PT), and in a primetime exclusive on "Dateline NBC," Wednesday, Nov. 1 (10-11 p.m. ET/PT).

Following are excerpts of the interview; mandatory credit to "Today" and "Dateline NBC":

RE: Not regretting her decision to adopt:

VIEIRA: "Had you known what was going to happen then, would you have still said I'm going to take my chances and go to Malawi?"

MADONNA: "That's a good question. I don't know. I mean, if you would have asked me a week ago when I was in...the depths of my depression, and just feeling so sad about the state of the world and how negative everybody was, I probably would have said no. But if you ask me today, I would say yes...Because you know, whenever you're in your... dark moment, you just think I can't take it. And then, you get out of bed. And then you think, I can take it. So today, I would say yes."

RE: Why she thinks the story got convoluted:

MADONNA: "Well, because people don't know. You know, people, they make uneducated decisions and they jump to conclusions. And then...a story...has a life of its own."

RE: On being vilified:

MADONNA: "With all the chaos, pain and suffering in the world, the fact that my adoption of a child ...who was living in an orphanage, you know, was the number one story for a week in the world. To me, that says more about what...our inability to focus on the real problems. And our desire to have distractions and to be consumed with people's personal lives and gossip."

RE: The controversy surrounding her concert airing on NBC:

VIEIRA: "But why did you decide to okay it? Because I know it meant a great deal to you."

MADONNA: "...it's not one hundred percent like my vision. But what was my goal? My goal was to be able to talk about the AIDS epidemic in Africa. And to wake people up. And to talk about my foundation, Raising Malawi. So, if I say, no, I don't want to change it, then I don't get my show aired at all...If I say I'll make a compromise, then I get my show aired. I still get my point across. And I'm now talking to you. And this will be on TV. And people will hear what I have to say."

RE: A favorite time in her career:

VIEIRA: "Is there any one moment in your career that you wish you could freeze? Say that was close to perfection for me. Or are you always searching?"

MADONNA: "I think if there's any moment that I'm the most fond of, I would say it's the beginning. The very, very, very beginning when you don't have any preconceived notions. And you don't have any kind of cynicism. You're totally naive, pure, innocent."

RE: The adoption:

VIEIRA: "Did it ever--in-- in this whole process, did it ever cross your mind-- did you ever think, well, you know, I have the resources to-- to help David's dad. He's a poor farmer."

MADONNA: "You're absolutely right. And I offered that in court when I met him. And he did that-- he didn't want that."

VIEIRA: "Oh-- I did not know that. Tell me about that..."

MADONNA: "...when I met him, I said I would be happy to-- to facilitate with you, you know, to bring him back to your village and help you financially raise him. And he said no. And I-- and then I didn't, you know, there was a lot of translation situations. And I didn't really-- I couldn't really understand that decision..."

VIEIRA: "Couldn't understand why he would make that decision?"

MADONNA: "Right... I think, you know, and I-- I don't want to judge him. And I don't know his life. And, you know, I believe he remarried and had moved to another village and was kind of getting on with his life. And I think he truly felt in his heart of hearts that-- and-- and-- and who knows if he was telling me the truth, that he would have a better life with me. So, when he said no, that was my, you know, my sign that-- that, you know, it was my responsibility to look after him."

RE: What David is like:

VIEIRA: "How would you describe his personality?"

MADONNA: "He's got a terrible temper. He's very flirtatious. And he's hysterically funny."

VIEIRA: "Is that you?"

MADONNA: "I do have a terrible temper. (LAUGHTER) To-- now, I would say that's kind of me, yeah, yeah. But, you know, obviously he's going to come with his own baggage and, you know, his own DNA and I look forward to being surprised by, you know, what he's going to offer the world and how he's going to turn out."

Re. Controversies surrounding her recent tour:

VIEIRA: "Well, you have a lot to say. You certainly do on the Confessions tour. And some of it was controversial."

MADONNA: "Yeah."

VIEIRA: "You're propped on the crucifix."

MADONNA: "Uh-huh (AFFIRMATIVE)."

VIEIRA: "You've got the-- the-"

MADONNA: "Crown of thorns."

VIEIRA: "Crown of thorns. That's right. And people came after you. The Vatican said very poor taste. Meant to be provocative by being blasphemous. Others said publicity stunt. I mean, you knew-- you must have known when you were building that set-"

MADONNA: "Yeah."

VIEIRA: "This is going to be controversial."

MADONNA: "Oh, absolutely. And all those things were correct. It was. I mean, my entire show was a publicity stunt. Let's face it. I'm-- I'm putting on a show to sell my records, to make my point...and I was also-- and I knew it would be provocative. I mean, I had a, you know, a crucifix that was covered in mirror ball. I mean-- I mean, disco ball like.

Re. raising David a Christian or Kabbalist:

VIEIRA: "David, born a Christian. Will he be raised a Christian or-"

MADONNA: "I don't think he was born a Christian."

VIEIRA: "That's what we were told, no?"

MADONNA: "Well, I mean, what does that mean? I don't think he was baptized. I don't think-- He's only, you know 13 months old. I-- He's too young to have been indoctrinated into any kind of belief system. But as I've stated, you know, often studying Kabbalah doesn't mean you can't be a Christian or a Buddhist or a Muslim or a Jew or whatever or Agnostic.

I mean, it's not-- it's not-- it's not a dogmatic-- religion. It's-- It's a-- It's kind of philosophy. And I think that-- If David decides he wants to be a Christian, then so be it."

VIEIRA: "But right now he's got the red string, the Kabbalah."

MADONNA: "Yes, he does. But I believe in Jesus and I study Kabbalah. So, I don't see why he can't too."

VIEIRA: "So, when he's ready to make the decisions-"

MADONNA: "Absolutely. But, you know, the-- the Kabbalah-- the essence of the Kabbalah is the teachings of Jesus, you know? You know, love your neighbor as yourself. What Kabbalah offers in-- in terms of-- information is helping you do that, is giving you tools to do that, because let's face it, that's the hardest thing in the world, to love your neighbor as yourself. You know, have unconditional love for-- for-- Just to love yourself is hard, you know?"

VIEIRA: "But you know that's the same again. It is-- The criticism of Madonna comes up again. She's a follower of Kabbalah."

MADONNA: "Yeah, but people don't understand."

VIEIRA: "Taking this boy, making him part of the Kabbalah."

MADONNA: "Well, I'm-- You know, my children are studying it as well. Lola and Rocco. And so is my husband. And-"

VIEIRA: "What don't people get do you think?"

MADONNA: "They don't know what Kabbalah is, and so they jump to conclusions. You know, they-- they sometimes say-- They say, "Oh, it's a cult" or they say, "It's Judaism or whatever." I mean, even if it was Judaism, what-- do-- do people have a problem with that? Can I be Jewish, if I want? Does somebody have a problem with that? You know what I mean?"

On adopting outside of her race:

VIEIRA: "I've known people who have adopted outside of their race and worried about it."

MADONNA: "Worried about it?"

VIEIRA: "Worried. You know, if they have a-- It's a black couple with a white child or a white couple with a black child. And what the child is in for. Is that something that you thought about at all without regard to David? Does it cross your mind? Is it an issue?"

MADONNA: "I don't think it's-- It's not an issue to me. I certainly thought about it. But you know I don't live-- I don't live in a-- in a white world. I live in the world. And my children are exposed to all cultures and all races and many belief systems. And-"

VIEIRA: "But there is a lot of racism in the world."

MADONNA: "There is. Well, I think that's underneath a lot of people's prejudice about me adopting David. I think a lot of people have a problem with the fact that I've adopted an African child, a child who has a different color skin than I do."

VIEIRA: "You think that's what got people riled up?"

MADONNA: "I think there-- I think there's an aspect of that, yeah. I think it's still considered taboo. You know, I have people say to me on the streets when I'm walking down the street, "Why did you adopt a black child?" You know, I mean, there's-"

VIEIRA: "They come out and say this to you?"

MADONNA: "Oh yeah, definitely. Yeah."

VIEIRA: "And what do you say?"

MADONNA: "I don't say anything. I don't dignify their question with a reply. But there is a lot of racism in the world. And-- But that doesn't mean I'm going to buy into it and neither are my children. So I don't-- I don't worry about it. "

On her interview with Dick Clark in 1984 when she said she "wanted to rule the world":

VIEIRA: "You still want to conquer the world?"

MADONNA: "Well, I wouldn't say I want to conquer the world anymore. But I-- I still-- I want to -- I want to -- I want to be a part of making the world a better place. I want to inspire people and-- Yeah, I mean, I want to be-- I want to be part of the solution. So."

VIEIRA: "Was there a time you think when you were part of the problem?"

MADONNA: "I think anybody that goes through life and-- as a robot and doesn't ask questions and goes through the flow and is a sheep and doesn't, you know, think outside the box is part of the problem. I think we all have been part of the problem. And you know-- And whenever I go back into my box, you know, I judge people too without getting information, I'm part of the problem. So-- I think-- I think, you know, that-- That's my goal. To be less part of the problem and more part of the solution."

Jim Bell is the executive producer of "Today," and David Corvo is the executive producer of "Dateline NBC."

Source: NBC Press Release