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Here’s the thing about being a celeb: You’re in the spotlight, you have tons and tons of cash, and oh yeah — you can hire as much help as you need. That’s precisely why it’s so refreshing that songstress Mary J. Blige has specifically stated she will not adopt a child.

Can she easily follow the Hollywood trend of adopting a kid and hiring help a la Brangelina’s trendsetting ways? You betcha. On the contrary, she seems to be a hands-on parent and knows how much effort and time is involved in true TLC.

Props to Mary for recognizing that adopting children would equate to less time for her daughter and son. “I barely have time for my own children,” she told PEOPLE. By indicating it would be “poor parenting” on her part, Mary said she will try to give her time and be there for people but adoption would not be in the mix.

After all, she’s the stepmom to an 11-year-old daughter (an aspiring film director already!) and a 10-year-old son (a budding philosopher/public speaker) who seem to have pretty high aspirations of their own.

It seems every other day in Tinseltown an A-lister is adopting and, while that may be the ideal situation for them, three snaps up in a circle to Mary J. Blige for recognizing and appreciating the valuable role as a mother in knowing her limits.

Do you think adoption has become trendy in Hollywood and stars seem to buy their way to a kid?

BARM/Fame Pictures, Kristian Dowling/Getty Image

You may recall we blogged about the blockage of Madonna’s effort to adopt a little girl a few months ago. Well, Madge has persevered and officially added a daughter to her family through adoption.

Chifundo “Mercy” James left Malawi in South Africa on Friday and jetted (literally, as in a private jet) to meet her mama in London. The four-year-old joins another child, David, who was adopted by the Material Girl in Malawi last year, as well as sister Lourdes, 12, and brother Rocco, 10, Madonna’s biological daughter and son.

Here’s how the adoption went through: Madonna appealed to courts after a lower court had originally denied her adoption request. The judge referred to Madonna’s charity, Raising Malawi. The diva’s charity provides orphans with food, education, and medical care.

In a statement Madonna indicated, “I am ecstatic.”

While congrats are certainly due, this begs the question: do celebs get special treatment when it comes to adoption? Did she leverage her big name and big bucks to create a charity that regular folks couldn’t even dream about? Or is it so philanthropic that the judge made the correct call in approving the adoption?

We totally dig the concept of adoption. Loving family wants to nurture a child who longs for a mom and dad, shelter, and good old-fashioned hugs and kisses. And, if they’re lucky, the orphan would likely enter a family with at least one sibling. What’s not to love about this equation?

Enter celebs and the star treatment. Or, in this case, don’t. When celebs get treated royally, something seems off-kilter. When they don’t get treated like A-listers and get treated like citizens instead, well, that kinda makes us happy.

Here’s the scoop: Madonna adopted a son in ‘06, David Banda. She apparently recently fell in love with a little orphan girl, Mercy James, and much to her chagrin, was told a big fat NO. As in, no dice, no adoption, no nuthin’.

Here’s why: the judge who threw out the Material Girl’s application said she was encouraging child trafficking. The adoption laws in Malawi say that prospective parents must live in the country for an 18- to 24-month assessment period.

In this case, the London-based songstress would have swooped in, adopted her daughter, and left in a very short amount of time. It is sad in the sense that Madonna has the ability to love and care for this child (we won’t even venture to guess how many nannies she hires), but also has the prowess to create a life of abundance for Mercy. So, you know what? It’s a toss up.

On the other hand, I give the judge props for not bending the rules just because she’s Madonna. It’s so rare that celebs have to abide by rules that normal citizens must follow so in that realm, three cheers for the judge! Apparently Mo is appealing the verdict but it is sad in a way that it’s the little girl who suffers in the end. Let’s hope another loving parent is able to meet the residency requirements and provide a nurturing home for her.

What do you think? Should judges bend the rules when it comes to celebrity adoptions or is it okay to break ‘em in the name of providing shelter and love to an orphan?