MADONNA - MADONNA DENIES CONNING GUCCI

Pop superstar MADONNA has hit back after being accused of duping fashion house Gucci into raising money for Kabbalah causes under the guise of helping Malawian orphans. Fox News reported this week (beg07Jan08) that a charity fronted by singer to help children in Malawi was actually raising money for a Los Angeles-based Kabbalah organisation. Madonna co-founded the Raising Malawi charity after adopting tot David Banda from the country in 2006 and teamed up with luxury design company Gucci to host a gala fundraiser next month (Feb08). But speculation had been mounting that proceeds from the event would actually benefit the religious organisation, rather than the orphans the charity had pledged to help. However, a representative for the star - who has been a Kabbalah devotee since the mid-1990s - has called the rumours "outrageous, incorrect, inaccurate, hurtful and malicious." Liz Rosenberg says, "The reality is - and it's never been a secret - that the Raising Malawi organisation was co-founded by Madonna and Michael Berg, who is one of the spearheading executives of the Kabbalah organization. The Raising Malawi organisation is completely separate from the Kabbalah, and they are run as two separate organizations. "Accountability will be very clear and very specific, and all funds will be accounted for."

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