Five years ago, when the Romanian Eurovision star Luminita Anghel took in Maria from a child protection center, the singer saw her dream come true, as she could finally call herself the mother of a little girl. But the dream turned into a nightmare when Maria’s biological mother suddenly emerged and wanted her daughter back.
Back in 2009, Maria was a sickly three-year old and Luminita took good care of her, nursing her back to health and giving her a happy home, family and childhood. However, as she started the adoption procedures last year, Maria’s biological mother, an impoverished florist, was tracked down — and then the ordeal started. Luminita says that the mother tried to extort her. She claims things got even uglier as the mother tried to get her daughter back.
The Romanian press reports that, despite her best efforts and expensive lawyers, Luminita has just lost Maria, who was placed in a child protection center, awaiting the outcome of a trial that doesn’t look too good for the singer. Angelica Constantin, the biological mother, is serious about her struggle to get Maria (now eight years old) home by Christmas. She also claims to understand Luminita’s attachment to Maria, promising that she would let her see Maria whenever she wants.
Nonetheless, authorities say that the custody battle has severely impacted the child’s development and that Maria needs psychological counseling, hence her placement in a children’s home. Moreover, the girl is likely to go to a foster home instead of her biological mother, because the reason why Maria ended up in a child center in the first place was because she was neglected by her. So in the end the one who will lose the most will be Little Maria, who risks losing both mothers because of this open and much-publicized custody battle.
Luminita Anghel is trying to keep this private issue private, and has stated that she will do whatever it takes to put an end to the situation.
The singer also has an adopted son, 17-year old David, and a two-year old biological son, Filip, with her husband Silviu.
Luminita Anghel achieved Eurovision stardom when, together with the band Sistem, she represented Romania in Ukraine back in 2005 and reached third place with “Let Me Try”.
Photo: Libertatea.ro
