Madonna in sexy shoot without airbrushing

Hollywood stars are often criticised for resorting to airbrush to look picture perfect but in a rare move 'Queen of Pop' Madonna decided to ditch retouching for a magazine spread.

The 50-year-old singer seductively tugs at her underwear, kisses a crucifix and puts on an eye-patch for a series of flattering photographs for Interview magazine. But judging by the indentations left by fishnets still visible across her midriff, it seems that Madonna did not go for airbrush this time, Daily Mail reported.

The photographs come as a surprise as Madonna has appeared in so many airbrushed campaigns over the years, recently for the likes of Louis Vuitton.

The recent pictures show Madonna in all her glory and a dash of good lighting has ensured that the singer looks youthful.

The photographs were shot by Mert Atlas and Marcus Piggot for a spread in the June edition of Interview magazine.

Other celebrities, who have ditched photoshop, to appear natural include Kim Kardashian, Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson, who went make-up free for a magazine cover

Madonna Is Raising Malawi

Madonna travels with her children Lourdes Leon, Mercy James and David Banda, to vist the Mphandu la Orphanage in the Namitete area outside Lilongwe, Malawi on Thursday (October 29).

The 51-year-old entertainer attended the ground breaking ceremony for the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls.

Madonna recently blogged to urge people to join her cause. “I’m writing to urge you to join me in saving the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable children. And I’m asking you to do it right away.

Raising Malawi, the organization I co-founded in 2006, is dedicated to ending the poverty and hardship endured by Malawi’s one million orphans. By donating to Raising Malawi, you can literally transform the future for an entire generation. To encourage your involvement, I’ve pledged $100,000 to match your contributions dollar-for-dollar.”

Madonna world tour becomes the highest grosser

Queen of Pop Madonna's Sticky and Sweet world tour is said to have made the highest amount ever earned by a solo artist grossing at 408 million dollars, revealed promoters Live Nation.

Madge, 51, had played her last gig on September 2 in Israel, after performing in 32 countries.

And she is said to have broken her own record, set by her Confessions tour, which was named the all-time top in 2006, after it made 194 million dollars.

"She is absolutely one of the great performers of all time ," the BBC quoted Arthur Fogel, from Live Nation, as saying.

"That this tour will take its place as the second highest grossing tour in the history of our business says it all," he added.

The Rolling Stone s' Bigger Bang tour, which ran from 2005 to 2007, is the highest grossing tour of all time, with an earning of 558 million dollars.

Madonna played 85 shows, and even set an attendance record for the biggest crowds in history in Zurich, Switzerland, where she drew 72,000 fans.

And in Helsinki, Finland, Madonna sold more than 85,000 tickets, making it the biggest single show by an artist in history in Scandinavia.

Erotic Madonna tapes go on sale

Rock legend Jimi Hendrix's first recording contract worth $1 and erotic audio and video tapes sent by Madonna to her old bodyguard have gone on sale in an online auction.

Other artists and prominent figures featured among the more than 450 items offered in the rock 'n' roll and pop art auction on www.gottahaverockandroll.com include John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones and Eminem. The auction will run through August 5.

Hendrix's earliest known contract for $1 dated October 15, 1965, could fetch up to $250,000, auctioneers said. It was signed by Hendrix and music producers PPX Enterprises of New York for Hendrix to play and sing exclusively for three years.

The contract - on which Hendrix's first name is spelled "Jimmy" - also granted him 1 percent of the retail sales from his recordings.

Two cassette tapes holding 17 minutes of messages that Madonna left in 1992 and 1993 on the answering machine of James Albright, the bodyguard who became her lover, are expected to fetch between $30,000 and $40,000.

An intimate home video sent to Albright featuring Madonna in a hotel room with castmates shot during the making of the 1993 film Dangerous Game has an estimate draw of $12,000 to $14,000.

Also up for sale are copies of love letters faxed to Albright by Madonna between 1992 and 1994 using the code name "Lola Montez".

The auction house described the video as "very personal and intimate" but its representatives said they were not allowed to say exactly what was on it. Neither the audio tapes nor the home video are being sold with copyright so the owner will not be able to sell the tapes to a public forum.

Another top lot is a life-size prop of Schwarzenegger's T-800 terminator used in various action sequences in the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day that has an estimated selling price of $150,000 to $200,000.

Also on sale are Dylan's original 1962 working lyrics for his song A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall, jackets worn by Lennon and US rapper Eminem's outfit that parodied Michael Jackson in his Just Lose It music video are also on sale.

Gottahaveit.com's chief executive, Peter Siegel, said he expected the auction to fetch high prices even in tough economic times.

"These items are not really economic-centric," he said. "Pop culture is international, there is still a lot of money out there and these items are relatively still a bargain compared to pieces of art from unknown artists who may become famous."
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Some of the items can be viewed in person at the Gotta Have It store in New York. The bidding will be open until August 5.

Madge mourns stage collapse victims

Pop star Madonna, whose concert was cancelled after two people died in a stage collapse, paid respect to the victims during her tour in Marseilles in France.

"Let's all just take a moment to say a prayer for Charles Criscenzo and Charlie Prow. Our hearts go out to their family and loved ones," Dailymail.co.uk quoted Madonna as saying.

The singer appeared in a black dress and embraced a widow. She also visited eight workers who were still hospitalised.

"She (Madonna) wanted to make a positive gesture. She won't be performing but will be showing solidarity with the victims' families. She is moved by what happened and feels very personally involved," a source said.

Explaining the unfortunate incident, a stadium worker said: "Normally four cranes are used to lift temporary roofs but on this occasion only three were being used. It was a recipe for disaster."

Madonna reportedly set to adopt again

Madonna reportedly set to adopt again
Officials say papers have been filed and pop star is headed to Malawi.

BLANTYRE, Malawi - Madonna is planning to adopt a second child from Malawi, officials said Thursday, but questions have already been raised over whether the newly divorced pop star will face obstacles because of her single mom status.

An official at the Malawi welfare department said Madonna, who is 50 and a mother of three, had filed adoption papers in the southern African country. Another person in Malawi close to the case said Madonna would be there this weekend and a court could hear her adoption case as soon as Monday.

A U.S. government official confirmed that an adoption bid by Madonna, an American, was under way.

Madonna Jesus Love

Madonna is reportedly having a fling with a Brazilian male model.

The '4 Minutes' singer met Jesus Luz in Rio de Janeiro while on a shoot for American magazine W, and the pair became so close she invited him to join her on the Sao Paolo leg of her 'Sticky and Sweet' world tour.

A source told the New York Post newspaper: "She was very interested in him. He's there with her now and photographer Steven Klein is helping him get along with everyone."

Madonna and Jesus reportedly struggled to keep their hands off each other when they met, and did little to hide their fledgling relationship from onlookers.

The pair also went to a star-studded Christmas bash over the weekend, where other guests included Stella and Mary McCartney, Lily Allen, Sir Mick Jagger and Kevin Spacey

Another source said: "Everyone knows they are ficando - which is a Portuguese expression that means they are kissing and doing other things but without any obligation of being faithful or getting into a relationship afterwards."

Meanwhile, Madonna is said to be "thrilled" at reports her estranged husband Guy Ritchie is dating Jemima Khan.

Guy and Jemima - who was previously married to Pakistan cricket legend Imran Khan and dated Hugh Grant - attended a dinner party together earlier this month. The pair also went to a star-studded Christmas bash over the weekend, where other guests included Stella and Mary McCartney, Lily Allen, Sir Mick Jagger and Kevin Spacey.

A friend of Madonna said: "It's not like she's asking him for details, but she's thrilled at the prospect of him moving on. It makes things easier for everybody."

Madonna to Planning to Adopt - Again?

Madonna is planning to adopt - again, according to reports.

The Material Girl - who divorced husband Guy Ritchie in November - controversially adopted David Banda from Malawi in 2006.

And she is now to add 4-year-old Mercy James - whose grandparents are too poor to care for her - to her brood.

The singer, 50, has already signed the adoption papers - and is set to fly to the poverty-stricken country with her rumored lover Alex Rodriguez to pick up the tot.

A source tells Star magazine, "She's hoping to bring the toddler home by early next year."

"It breaks our hearts to know she will leave us, but adoption is best for her," Mercy's grandfather, Saxon Maunde, said.

Until the the star adopted David, Malawi had not permitted foreign adoptions. Madonna has since moved back to New York City with son Rocco, 8, and daughter Lourdes, 12.

Madonna settles divorce for up to $166m

Madonna paid her ex-husband British director Guy Ritchie up to £60 million (NZ$166m) to settle their divorce after eight years of marriage, her spokeswoman has confirmed.

Liz Rosenberg said the singer, 50, had given Ritchie, 40, between £50 and £60 million as part of their divorce, which was granted by a British court on November 21.

She said that sum includes the couple's English country estate, Ashcombe, which is valued at £20 million.

The couple's combined wealth has been estimated at about US$525 million, but Madonna accounts for most of it.

Rosenberg said custody arrangements for the couple's children have not been finalised.

Madonna and Ritchie have an eight-year-old son, Rocco, and three-year-old son David, adopted from Malawi.

The singer also has a daughter Lourdes, born in 1996, from her relationship with fitness trainer Carlos Leon.

Madonna, one of the most successful singers of all time with estimated album sales of more than 200 million, was married once before, to actor Sean Penn, in the 1980s.

Madonna and Ritchie announced their split in October, nearly eight years after their fairytale wedding at Skibo Castle in Scotland.

Ritchie is a British film director who is making Hollywood blockbuster Sherlock Holmes starring Robert Downey Jr as the Victorian-era super sleuth.