Madonna’s ex chef is blabbing in the latest issue of the National Enquirer that it’s a good thing the 50 year-old pop star was denied her initial bid to adopt three year-old Mercy James. Eric Ienco used to work as Madonna’s chef and house manager and he says that she always puts herself and her schedule before her children and spends about a half an hour a day with them, tops. Adding credence to this guy’s claims is the fact that he’s willing to go public with his name and photo in the Enquirer.
Madonna’s children are lucky if they get to spend a half hour a day with the superstar, charges Eric Ienco, her former house manager and cook.
The performer’s kids are largely raised by nannies while she pursues her career, Ienco told The Enquirer.
“That’s why it’s a puzzle she wants to adopt again.
“She’s hardly ever with her children. She’s got two full-time nannies and one part-time nanny. So why adopt a kid if somebody else is raising them?”…
The 50-year-old entertainer has her day rigidly planned – and her children are not a big part of it, according to Ienco.
“She gets up and has a coffee, then she does two hours of yoga. Then there’s two hours of Pilates and exercise. That’s six days a week.
“After that, she deals with her e-mail, her calls and the rest of her business. And after that, she spends maybe half an hour with the kids.
“If Lourdes comes in and says, ‘I want to see Mom,’ she is told, ‘She’s doing yoga’ – and Lourdes knows she can’t disturb Mom.
“Madonna puts herself before her kids. When she adopted little David, he arrived at her home from Africa – and three hours later, she left to do Pilates. Wouldn’t you think she’d want to spend the entire day with her new son?..
“When she’s with her children, she is a devoted mom,” says Ienco. “She just doesn’t spend much time with them. And now that she’s extended her tour schedule, how much will the kids see her?”
[From The National Enquirer, print edition April 27, 2009]
Ienco also confirms the story that we’ve heard about how Madonna’s bid to adopt Mercy put a strain on her relationship with then-husband, Guy Ritchie, saying “Guy was dead against adopting, so for their marriage, it was the final nail in the coffin.”
I have mixed feelings about this story. For one, was this guy at Madonna’s house at night and did he witness whether she spent time with the kids after her work day was through? The way they tell this story about her schedule makes it sound as if she works a regular 8 hour day from home and doesn’t want to be disturbed. That’s understandable, she just exercises 1/2 the time. I work from home and while I let my son come and talk to me if he happens to be home with his babysitter I may ask that they go out to play so that I can have some time to write. It doesn’t make me a bad mom, I’m just trying to do my job during the day.
The story about Madonna going to pilates on David’s first day home is true, because I covered that story when the photos came out. It really surprised me that she would head out to the gym that day and even let herself be photographed instead of staying home with her new son. I guess we know where her priorities are. Does she spend time with her kids at night though or is that half hour all she has to spare all day?
Madonna is shwon out to dinner with Stella McCartney on 4/6/09. Credit: WENN.com
Why would you need more than 1 full time nanny??
puts a spotlight on the selfish, narcissistic, and completely out of touch life celebs have the power and money to lead, and so many idiots worship and wish to emulate.
addicted to exercise… weird. Four hours a day of exercise is a little excessive. You’d think she’d hire someone to come to her house instead of being photographed going to the gym the day that David came to live with her…
Didn’t guy compare Madonna’s body to a piece of gristle? All of those hours, not given to her kids, to look like a piece of gristle. That’s a damn shame!
I am more shock on how Madonna would have such willpower to constantly work out so much. There is being healthy and active and there is being obsessive.
Whoa, her arm is bleeding in the last photo. Heeeeey she bleeds red just like the rest of us! Imagine that.
Sadly I can see this being true. She has never struck me as the type of person to give a crap about her kids unless they’re making her money. As psycho as she is tho, they’re prob better off with the nannies.
I wouldn’t want to be a nanny. I couldn’t imagine getting close to the kids, then if you quit/get fired thats it. You dont see them again.
I don’t know if I believe the story totally – I don’t think she’s a bad mother…a busy one perhaps, but as CB says, the woman has a work day planned out and doesn’t want to be interrupted – that’s not outrageous.
However, there is no denying she exercises far too much.
it’s so sad she hardly spends time with her kids but you know what working moms in america don’t spend time with their kids anyway, htey go home (if they’re not busy with girlfirends, or cheating on their husbannds/boyfriends) eat dinner, put the kids to bed. that’s it. my coworkers seem bitter too that they have kids and I don’t. they’re all you’re so lucky to have so much free time. anyway everyone gets mad but that’s thr truth, women here hardly ever see their kids so no one should pick on madge, that’s how much time people spend with their kids on weekdays here too lol
There’s no doubt Madonna is incredibly driven and ambitious — she didn’t get where she is by sitting around watching television for half the day. And someone THAT ambitious doesn’t tone it down when they have kids.
But there’s a fine line between ambitious and obsessive, and Madonna crossed it a long time ago. She has millions and millions of dollars, and an amazing career. She could stop tomorrow if she wanted to — or at least slow down. But she can’t. And her kids probably DO suffer as a result.
Hey, I’m all for mothers having personal space and time for themselves — god knows, by the end of a busy day taking care of two toddlers, I sometimes count the minutes after dinner until my kids are in bed and I can have a bit of peace! But four hours of exercise a day??? Who needs to do that???
I 1/2 believe this story ie. it’s probably got a lot of truth in it but equally also probabaly omits details which might contradict the ex-chef’s perspective. Don’t see it necessarily as meaning that Madge is neglectful of her kids. It’s hardly going to come as a surprise to anyone that she’s an obsessive workaholic.
Ok…so you’re being raised by a nanny…but that nanny is probably awesome, and she’s taking care of you inside a $40 mil mansion and you get the BEST of everything.
Sounds better than an orphanage in Malawi.
She just adopts those kids for publicity. She will do anything for attention.
Also it is messed up that rich people come into these developing countries and buy poor peoples kids! I mean how do these countries end up poor in the first place?
From observation … she appears to lack the, “mommy-nurturing gene.” Her children appear more like collectibles.
I think people focus too much on the stuff Madge can give those kids. What about love and affection and being able to see and experience a “normal” family? So what if they can have all the stuff in the world – they will still know that they take a backseat to Mommy’s yoga.
Of course it’s fine that she works. But we see her out at night a lot, also, and on tour . . .so I’d guess the chef’s right that it leaves very little time for the kids. I always hear how much the kids miss Guy Richie, he was probably their mainstay. Madonna is and always has been a selfish you-know-what. I honestly don’t get why she is so determined about the Malawi adoption.
I totally agree, Kait. I find it so bizarre that everyone keeps mentioning her $40 mil home as proof positive that the child will absolutely thrive under her care. If that’s the case, then 95% of children in this country are being tortured by living ‘normal’ lives and should be adopted by the uber rich.
In everything I’ve seen about Madonna, she displays some selfish, narcissistic tendencies – no matter how much she claims Kabbalah has helped her.
addicted to exercise she sure is and I know ! with all her $$$$ why she doesnt have a full exercise gym in her house.
she is 50 back in the day Cher and Jane Fonda both middleage then too were over-exercisers Jane buliding a fortune on her workout videos. then they got to be over 50 and werent so driven. i dont know about Madonna she got to fill her life up with something, exercising seems to keep her busy.
After spending 3 hours with a child, giving him some space and time to adjust to his new home and to see other members of the family sounds about right to me.
If anything, it’s better than overwhelming the child on his first day. Angelina had People magazine staff “spend time” with Pax at his hotel room, and I find it much more disturbing.
She must be the most self centered selfish person on this planet. She got this far without any real talent, good looks or good voice , only by using everyone around her and then step on them like they never existed. Children to her are just another publicity stunt. More like a hobby than a responsibility.
“Angelina had People magazine staff “spend time” with Pax at his hotel room, and I find it much more disturbing.”
Agreed- bringing photographers in to document their first hours/ days together was pretty disgusting. And let’s not forget that Angelina then changed his name to Pax, which is just messed up. She’s way more screwed in the head than Madge.
Why focus only on the material things? A child also needs love, attention, just talking to and being with their parents. Those things are incredibly important.
I’ve long suspected that this is the case–that she really doesn’t spend much time with her kids. The description of her day actually reminded me of the movie Mommie Dearest. It was all about her and her upkeep and her career and the kids were either hindrances or afterthoughts.
i am terrified by madge’s arms.
~
Wait for Lourde’s book.
Don’t these people sign confidentiality agreements? WTF?
HEB, that was first reaction too, actually. (doesn’t quite work out for Lourdes or Rocco though) She works out too much and it shows. No wonder she and Guy divorced -he probably had to text her to schedule sex! When you see older pics of Madonna when her body was toned but supple and a bit soft, she was much sexier, IMO.
Maybe it’s not such a bad thing if she spends only 30 mins with the kids – she clearly has no moral conscience as shown by her actions so she can’t be a good influence on her kids. You never see her take her kids on vacations or to parks to play – nothing. For all the money she has it means nothing if you can’t give your kids what they need emotionally. And if you have to make an appointment to see your mother, clearly your emotional needs are not a top priority for her. So sad.
By the way, who would want to be Madonna’s chef? Doesn’t she eat a macrobiotic diet or something that is essentially cardboard? what a waste of a chef’s skills to prepare cardboard!
Didn’t she used to have a gap in her teeth? I guess she got it fixed???
Uhm, I’m calling bull on this story, despite my INTENSE hatred of Madonna.
I keep seeing this former employee thing. Couldn’t it just be that he got fired and bitter?
And if she wants 8 hours a day to do what she needs to do for work (exercise is work when you’re a celeb I guess) then that should be okay. She has a nanny (multiple ones actually) so it’s not like the kids are ignored or neglected. I think it’s foolish for her to have more, but hey, she’s rich. Any kid she adopts will be lucky to get out of the orphanage and into luxury.
Somehow, I totally believe this. Madonna doesn’t treat people well, in general. Acc. to Uk Daily Mail, she’s had 4 staff quit in the past year, b/c she was underpaying them (about $12/hour) and overworking them. David’s nanny (who quit/was fired) gave an interview where she said she was let go b/c she couldn’t teach the kids French. Who would be a full-time nanny and teach French for $12/hour? Madonna seems too wrapped up in her own needs to consider the needs of others.
Madonna is an amazing mother; this story is false, some one trying to make money on silly accusations…. Madonna for life.. and here’s to a new addition to her family!!!
Um, I don’t mean to defend Madonna, because I loathe her, but I think it’s important to examine this within the constructs of sexism. This is the sort of behaviour that has been par for the course for fathers for many generations, and few have questionned that. The assumption was that the main bread-winner needs time to win that bread and then time to de-stress. Well, in this case, Madonna is the family income, and Guy has been not working so much, so he’s been available for the kids. It’s a traditional, although opposite, distribution of family resources.
Is a mother’s love all that vital? Is the father’s not enough? (Although he’s out of the picture now, isn’t he?) If Madge isn’t nurturing and warm, the way we expect women to be, are the kids missing all that much?
I don’t have the answers, it’s just interesting to ponder.
I think its just about projecting an image. She’s one those people that want to appear to be a do-gooder because it looks good …its trendy …not because she sincerely cares
Why do people say nannies raise celebrities’ kids? I’m sure it’s true in some cases but having a nanny doesn’t mean the parents are never there. Most non-celebrity families have two full-time working parents who put their kids in daycare. Nobody ever says the daycares are raising the kids. Personally I think most celebrities spend more time with their kids than none non-celebrities. They work maybe 6 months a year and can bring their kids to the set. Working parents are out of the house 8-10 hours of the day including commuting. By the time they get home young kids will be in bed in a couple of hours and older kids are probably doing some extracurricular activity(sports, etc).
Madonna’s wish for Mercy ruined her marriage? Wow, she has her priorities in the right place. My pet comes first! How dare he deny her that? What a self-centered jerk. Good thing she fired. . err divorced him.
Madonna would surely have someone to do most of her emails and take calls for her etc. Only the important ones would be highlighted for her attention.
So that means she gets up ridicuously early and then exercises for a few hours, then has the rest of the day for children and work. My mother does that much exercise and still had enough time for her 4 kids.
No surprises here. Madonna has never struck me as the warm-and-fuzzy mommy type. Thank God she’s not my mother! She may have $$$ but her ego seems outta control.
Madonna is a narcissist. I believe this story 100%. Madonna does not seem like the motherly type to me and she never did. It is not a surprise here that she puts herself first. Kids are an accessory to Madonna, thats it.
But it’s not just Madonna. Jolie does not look like a hands on mom either when the paps are not around. Jolie has her kids be raised by nannies too.
Who cares about Madonna? She´s too old to adopt kids though.
Oh my God, she has a life outside of her kids, how dare she! She should stay in the kitchen, where mothers belong!
If she were a man, she would not be criticized for working. Just because she doesn’t spend every waking minute doting on her kids does not make her a bad mother. Celebrity gossip can be so sexist sometimes…
Yeah- I’ll do something out of character and step up in Vadge’s defense to say anything an ex-employee has to say about their boss is suspect at the very least.
blah blah – you are full of blah blah. I am a single, working mom and I spend hours with my kids everyday. You seem to be jealous of your co workers who actually landed a spouse and have had kids.
The point is she has enough money to last her and her kids a lifetime and could spend ALOT of time with her kids. She chooses fame/career over her kids like Angelina etc. Its not about having a life outside your kids. Thats healthy for everyone but I am sick of celebs and others having kids to pass them off to nanny to raise. Why bother having kids? to look like you are superwoman and can have it all? silly!
She’s a modern day Joan Crawford. Can’t wait to read David Banda’s book in about 20 years.
For narcissists such as Madonna (Jolie & Pitt, Beckhams etc) children are merely accessories, mirrors and narcissistic supply.
They are seen as OBJECTS, not as real human beings. Have you not noticed that the kids of all the people mentioned above always look miserable???