Madonna "cried herself to sleep" when she was accused of kidnapping her son David Banda.

The 'Like a Prayer' hitmaker was devastated by how she was treated when she adopted 11-year-old David and admits it was "a real low point" for her because she had done everything exactly by the book.

Speaking about the time she adopted David, she said: "Every newspaper said I kidnapped him. In my mind, I was thinking, 'Wait a minute. I'm trying to save somebody's life. Why are you all s***ing on me right now?' I did everything by the book. That was a real low point for me. I would cry myself to sleep."

And the 59-year-old singer - who also adopted Mercy, 11 - revealed she was told by Malawi officials that she was "not capable" of raising a child because of the way she was treated.

She added: "[I was told] I was not capable of raising a child. The way I was treated - that sexist behaviour - was ridiculous."

Madonna recently adopted five-year-old twins Estere and Stelle and gushed about their joyful presence in her life.

She told People magazine: "It's like they've always been here."

Meanwhile, the 'Vogue' hitmaker previously shared the "love" she has for Esther and Stelle.

She wrote: "Love does not come with a manual. Most of the time we are flailing blindly and reeking havoc everywhere. We go. But every once in a while we get it right and when we do we can hear the molecules singing. We. feel the universe conspiring to help us and we hear our hearts pounding in our chests. (sic)"

Madonna also has Lourdes, 20, with Carlos Leon and 17-year-old son Rocco with her ex-husband Guy Ritchie.