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Madonna compares adoption to childbirth at Cannes fundraiser

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While the majority of stars taking part in the Cannes festivities have enjoyed a week of film premieres, sunbathing and partying, Madonna has been taking the opportunity to speak out about her adoption of two-year-old David Banda. The Material Girl, who joined fellow A lister Sharon Stone at a charity gala on Thursday, has compared her well-documented adoption process to childbirth.

"It was painful, and a big struggle, and I didn't understand it," revealed the star, whose documentary film about AIDS orphans in Malawi - I Am Because We Are - premiered at the film festival. "But in the end I rationalised that when a woman has a child and goes through natural childbirth, she suffers an enormous amount."

"So I sort of went through my own kind of birthing pains… and in the end it made me stronger, so I can't complain," she said, adding that she hopes to adopt another child from the African country in the future.

The mum-of-three has also found time to let her hair down in Cannes, though, with actress chum Sharon. And although Madonna is approaching her 50th birthday, while the Basic Instinct actress celebrated hers earlier this year, the showbiz duo showed they're more than a match for the younger contingent at Thursday's gala. Despite the presence of beauties such as Diane Kruger, Eva Herzigova and Milla Jovovich the glamorous gal pals well and truly stole the limelight in their show-stopping ensembles.

Photo: © Alphapress.com
The Material Girl, who's compared her recent adoption struggles to the pain of childbirth, has been busy promoting her Malawi documentary in Cannes. On Thursday evening, however, she joined gal pal Sharon Stone at the amfAR charity gala Photo: © Getty Images
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Mum-of-three Madonna gave the new generation of stars in Cannes a run for their money in this gorgeous satin number from Stella McCartney's as-yet-unveiled spring 2009 collectionPhoto: © Getty Images
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Ever-youthful Sharon proved she's more than a match for the younger festival attendees, too, in this daring leopard print gownPhoto: © Getty Images

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