Madonna Just Wants Poor Kids to Dance for Her: Malawi Prez

She loses VIP status in Malawi
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 9, 2013 10:45 AM CDT
Madonna Just Wants Poor Kids to Dance for Her: Malawi Prez
Madonna tours the Mphandura orpahange near Lilongwe, Malawi, Friday, April 5, 2013.   (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)

Madonna no longer has VIP status in Malawi now that she's annoyed President Joyce Banda, the Telegraph reports. The brouhaha started when Malawi's education minister accused the Material Girl of exaggerating the charitable work she's done there; then Madonna's request to see Banda during her recent visit was ignored. And, in an interview about Madonna's latest trip, Banda herself expressed her irritation at how the singer was treated: "She just came unannounced and proceeded to villages and made poor people dance for her. And immigration officials opened the VIP lounge for her just because previously she enjoyed the VIP status."

So, even though Madonna was treated as a VIP upon her arrival in Malawi last Monday, things had changed by the time she left Saturday night. She and her 15-person entourage were instead forced to get in an ordinary check-in line, go through regular airport security, and walk through a normal passenger terminal rather than being taken directly to a private jet via limo. She was supposedly "very annoyed" at the situation, according to an airport official, who notes that "her children, especially David, seemed to enjoy mingling with the ordinary people." Click for more. (More Madonna stories.)

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