MADONNA’S son David Banda has been secretly dating a U.S. model, three years his senior.
The 18-year-old struck up a romance with Maria Atuesta, 21, at the beginning of the year, with their union surviving the second leg of his mum’s Celebration Tour.
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David was kept on his toes as he joined the pop superstar on the road from October to May, showcasing his guitar skills up on stage across venues worldwide.
But after the musical extravaganza concluded with a record-breaking Copacabana Beach gig, he’s finally been reunited with his new love after jetting back home to New York.
A source told The Sun: “David and Maria are totally besotted with one another. She’s his first girlfriend and it’s really adorable.
“He’d been travelling with his mum all over the globe but was determined to make things work, so they kept in touch all the way through.
“Now that the tour’s over and they’ve been able to see each other again, it’s like they were never apart.”
David even teased the romance on Instagram this week, posting a snap of Maria to his Story, writing: “It was a happy Monday.”
Earlier in the day, he’d shared a solo selfie with the caption, “Happy Monday to all.”
While it isn’t clear how they exactly met, Maria is signed to four international modelling agencies, including Genetics in The Big Apple, Vie in New Jersey, Youth in Milan and Nation Worldwide.
She’s studying towards a Marketing major at the private Manhattan College too, costing $44,100 (£34,702) annually.
If that isn’t keeping her busy enough, Maria’s currently employed as a service agent at the Spring Place members’ club in New York City.
And, earlier on in her studies, the brunette worked a string of ‘normal’ side hustles – notably as a hotel consierge, as well as in staff member roles at Target and a smoothie bar on Long Island.
Before that, she was a high school student at John Glenn High School in Madonna‘s home state of Michigan, graduating in 2021.
Maria’s Instagram follower count sits at almost 3,500, where she regularly posts bikini-clad snaps from her travels to the likes of Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, London and Rome.
Many of her shots are fawned over by David, with the former youth footballer commenting: “You look ravishing mi amor,” on her latest.
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Beneath another, he penned: “Absolutely stunning,” as well as, “You are too perfect,” and, “Honestly the single most beautiful smile.”
His sister Mercy, 18, follows Maria on the platform too.
It was during a 2006 visit to Malawi that Madonna adopted David to offer him a better quality of life in the UK, where she had been living at the time with her ex-husband Guy Ritchie.
Over the years, there have been mixed reports from David’s biological father, who has both criticised and praised the star in the past.
During her much-publicised custody battle for her son Rocco with Guy, Yohane claimed such familial issues wouldn’t arise in the village where he lived.
However, he changed his mind once the bitter dispute had been resolved and he saw his son for the first time since giving him up for adoption at just 13 months of age.
Madonna has since welcomed three other Malawian children into her family – Mercy in 2009 and twins Esther and Stella Mwale, 11, in 2017.
She also has two biological children of her own – Lourdes Leon, 27, and Rocco Ritchie, 23.
Madonna’s representative has been contacted for comment.
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