Celebrity Mound

British newspapers say Madonna and Guy Ritchie are splitting up.

The Sun reports the American pop star and British movie director want a divorce finalized by Christmas.

The Daily Mail says a statement on the couple’s future will soon be released. The newspapers cited unnamed sources.

Madonna has been linked to the recent breakup of New York Yankees baseball star Alex Rodriquez and his wife, Cynthia Rodriquez. Over the summer the pop star denied rumors of a romance with Rodriquez and denied her own marriage was on the rocks.

Madonna is in the middle of her latest world tour, “Sticky & Sweet.”

Madonna celebrated her 50th birthday in glittering style last night as she draped herself in jewellery to attend a party thrown in her honour.

Dripping with silver necklaces and sporting shiny sleeves to match, the singer arrived at the Volstead club in London’s West End accompanied by her husband Guy Ritchie.

The couple were all smiles as they headed into the venue, with protective Guy holding onto his wife’s arms.

Madonna – wearing thigh boots, a partially transparent chiffon dress and her Kabbalah bracelet – looked positively radiant as she smiled for photographers.

The night before the couple had attended a service at a Kabbalah centre in Marylebone.

Perhaps the Queen of Pop was giving thanks for her glittering career or maybe she was praying for Mercy, the little girl whom she is hoping to adopt from Malawi.

Earlier this week the Mail learned that Ritchie, keen to give his wife the ultimate birthday gift, has given in to her demands to adopt a second Malawian child.

Many of the marital difficulties the couple have experienced over the past year have surrounded the singer’s determination to adopt again, and Guy’s refusal to give in.

Yet rather than lose his wife for good, the Snatch director has agreed to go ahead with adopting three-year-old Mercy James. Madonna and Ritchie have already adopted Malawian child David Banda and the singer has two other children, a son, Rocco, and a daughter Lourdes.

According to Guinness World Records, Madonna is the most successful female solo artist, selling around 120 million albums and 40 million singles – a combined total of more than any other female.

And despite turning 50, it doesn’t look like she’s planning on slowing down anytime soon. The pop star, who is renowned for her super-fit and yoga-toned body, is preparing for her Sticky And Sweet world tour.

To mark her special day, MSN entertainment polled more than 1,200 Madge fans who named Like A Prayer as her best song of all time. The album of the same name also topped the poll as Madonna’s best.

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Rumours of a split between MADONNA and her husband GUY RITCHIE are refusing to go away – despite the star issuing a statement dismissing speculation about a possible divorce.

The couple has been under intense media scrutiny amid rumours they are allegedly on the verge of a permanent split.

And the Material Girl’s publicist Liz Rosenberg attempted to set the record straight earlier this week – insisting that there are no plans for a divorce.

But the statement has failed to quash speculation about the state of the pair’s marriage, with new reports suggesting the star is putting off making an official announcement until after she has completed her upcoming Sweet + Sticky world tour later this year.

A source tells British newspaper the Daily Mirror, “Trust me, it’s over. Why else would they both consult divorce lawyers? Madonna hates being pushed into a corner and would hate other people having the satisfaction of saying, ‘We told you so.’

“The announcement will be slipped out after her tour – as planned.”

It would not be the first time the pop star has attempted to keep big news quiet. In 2006, at the height of speculation that Madonna was to adopt a child from Malawi, Rosenberg issued a statement on behalf of the singer vehemently denying the adoption rumours.

Less than two weeks after issuing the denial, Madonna and Guy Ritchie filed adoption papers and brought baby David Banda back to the U.K.

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Madonna has met with high-powered British divorce attorney Fiona Shackleton, The Times of London reports.

(Shackleton represented Paul McCartney in his split from Heather Mills. He ended up paying Mills only $48.6 million of the $160 million sought by Mills.)

One lawyer told The Times that Madonna, 49, had met with Shackleton after approaching another firm. (Guy Ritchie, 39, had been rumored “to have had dealings with a lesser-known Mayfair law firm, Forsters,” according to The Times.)

When contacted by Usmagazine.com, her rep said: “No comment at this time, darling.”

It is believed that the couple (who wed in 2000) did not have a prenup, according to The Times. (Madonna is worth an estimated $600 million.)

Breakup rumors have rocked the couple for years.

In the May issue of U.K. Elle, Madonna denied martial strife.

“I had to marry a challenge because otherwise I would just get bored,” she said. “Whatever else Guy is, he’s never boring … We’re both there to help each other and challenge each other.”

She added that she dedicated the love song “Incredible” (on her latest disc Hard Candy) to him.

“Sex with Guy is incredible,” she confessed. “And surprise, surprise, it’s his favorite song on the album. Actually, maybe it’s not his favorite song, but it’s definitely his favorite line.”

They have two children together: Rocco Ritchie, 7, and David Banda, 21 months, whom they adopted in Malawi in 2006. The adoption was finalized last month.

Madonna has a daughter, Lourdes, 11, from a previous relationship with fitness instructor Carlos Leon.

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