Madonna has received a message of support from Wolverine star Hugh Jackman over her continued efforts to adopt four-year-old Malawian girl Mercy James.
The Aussie actor, who has two adopted children of his own, hit out at cynics who questioned Madonna's motives for wanting to adopt a second child from the African country. "I'm sure she is coming from a good place," he said.
"I challenge anyone who thinks you adopt a kid for a publicity stunt. Any parent knows that would have to be the most intensive publicity stunt in the world."
His comments came as the Material Girl's bid to make Mercy a permanent member of her family suffered a further complication this week when a man claiming to be Mercy's father moved to claim full custody of his daughter.
Twenty-four-year-old James Kambewa, who says he was unaware of the child's existence and was told she died in childbirth with her mother, has written a letter to lawyers asking for a permanent injunction to prevent the 50-year-old adopting her.
Hugh Jackman Biography
Born of English parentage in Sydney on October 12, 1968, Jackman was raised as the youngest of five children. After earning a communications degree as a journalism major from Sydney's University of Technology, he attended the Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts, where he studied drama. The fledgling actor got his first big break immediately after graduation, when he was offered a starring role on the popular TV series Corelli; his casting proved to be doubly serendipitous, as it provided him with an introduction to his future wife, actress Deborrah-Lee Furness, with whom he would have a son
