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David Banda and Madonna at her Evening of Music, Art, Mischief and Performance to Benefit Raising Malawi at Faena Forum on December 3, 2016 in Miami Beach, Florida© Kevin Mazur

Madonna's son David Banda, 18, forced to defend 'scavenging' for food in Bronx claims

The 'Hung Up' hitmaker's son joked with his Instagram followers he was struggling to make ends meet

Georgia Brown
Senior Lifestyle & Fashion Writer
July 22, 2024
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Madonna's 18-year-old son David Banda got candid about the realities of living by himself away from home. 

The star, who recently graduated from the University of Southern California, made headlines earlier this week when he implied to his 53,000 Instagram followers that he was "scavenging" for food after moving out of his family home to The Bronx with his girlfriend, Maria Atuesta.

“I love it. I'm not on my own, I’ve got my girlfriend. But I love it," he said in an Instagram Live. "It’s lovely to experience it being nine o’clock at night, me being hungry and realizing that I don’t have enough money to get food and scavenging. It's fun to be young." 

david banda playing guitar celebration tour© Getty Images
David is earning money as a guitar teacher, charging $200 per lesson

However, the Hung Up hitmaker's son was forced to clarify he was indeed not "starving" after fans raised concerns for his welfare.

"I am very happy in my life and I am not living out on the streets, starving!" the 18-year-old wrote on his Instagram Story on Monday. "Please stop worrying, everything is good."

Madonna and David Banda in Adidas outfits© Getty
David clarified that he is fine after joking that he was 'scavenging' for food

David also clarified that his mother Madonna, 65, has always been "very supportive" of him and his decisions, which include moving to the Bronx with his girlfriend and making money by teaching guitar lessons.

Madonna's epic $32.5m home that David left

Considering his mother's worldwide fame, David's claims he was struggling to afford food came as a surprise to many of Madonna's fans. 

Madonna on an outing with her son David© Instagram
Madonna shares a close relationship with her 18-year-old son, David

The Vogue singer lives in a $32.5 million Upper East Side home in Manhattan, which boasts 13 bedrooms, as well as a drawing room and impressive kitchen.

Madonna shares an incredibly close relationship with her children, and even asked many of them to join her on stage during her Celebration World Tour earlier this year. 

A young David posing with Madonna in matching fedoras and suits on the Grammys red carpet© Getty Images
David in 2014 showing his and Madonna's shared affinity for fashion

"Because the Celebration Tour is a retrospective of my life, I thought it made perfect sense to include all of my children still living with me in the show; they all dance and play musical instruments, and have been doing so for years," said the mom-of-six.

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