Romanian socialite secretly hands her adopted boy back to orphanage after 'his cries kept her awake on first night'

  • Monica Columbeanu vowed to give boy, 3, new life after learning of his plight
  • But 26-year-old has since returned him after just one night at her mansion
  • Woman who helped with adoption claimed she 'didn't want him any more'

By Daily Mail Reporter

Published: | Updated:


A Romanian society girl who announced in a blaze of publicity that she was adopting a boy from an orphanage has secretly returned him after just one day.

Monica Columbeanu, 26, whose friends include Paris Hilton, vowed to give three-year-old Alex Gabriel a life 'in which he would want nothing'.

But she took him back after spending just one night at her mansion reportedly because his crying kept her awake.

Handed back: Romanian socialite Monica Columbeanu is pictured with three-year-old Alex Gabriel (right) whom she adopted but returned to his orphanage after one day reportedly because his crying kept her awake

Handed back: Romanian socialite Monica Columbeanu is pictured with three-year-old Alex Gabriel (right) whom she adopted but returned to his orphanage after one day reportedly because his crying kept her awake

Stefan Cristofor, a businessman from Bucharest who runs a charity helping orphans with his daughter Mihaela, confirmed they had arranged the meeting between Monica and Alex.

Mihaela said: 'Monica wanted to spend a weekend with the boy that she wanted to adopt. But the child could not adapt.

'In the evening, when she put him to bed, he began to cry and could not sleep. The next day she took him back to the orphanage.

'The question of adoption was simply stopped at that point because quite simply she didn't want him any more.'

Change of heart: Monica Columbeanu plays with Alex. She told media at the time of the adoption that she wanted to the boy a life 'in which he would want nothing'
Paris Hilton (left) and Monica Columbeanu (right)

Change of heart: Monica Columbeanu (pictured playing with Alex, right, and left with Paris Hilton) told media at the time of the adoption that she wanted to the boy a life 'in which he would want nothing'

Monica has been in the public spotlight since she was 18 when she married multi-millionaire businessman Irinel Columbeanu, then aged 56.

To rebuff claims she had only married him for his money, Monica started a PR tour that included a visit to the Jiu Placement Center for Orphans in Bucharest.

There she met three-year-old Alex and announced it was wrong for children to be kept in institutions – and set about the process of adopting him.

She told the media: 'I'll make sure he won't lack anything and by that I mean primarily parental love.'

Monica Columbeanu (second right) joins Paris Hilton (third left) to open a milk shake store in Shanghai in May

Monica Columbeanu (second right) joins Paris Hilton (third left) to open a milk shake store in Shanghai in May

As a result, Alex was whisked away to enjoy a weekend in the luxurious Izvorani family mansion.

But after he reportedly failed to sleep at night in his new bed and kept his new mother awake, he was quietly taken back to the orphanage and the adoption process was dropped.

Alex is now currently preparing for his first year at school.

Since splitting with her former husband, Monica has become one of the hottest society girls in Romania and she still has a taste for wealthy lovers.

Her current boyfriend, according to Romanian media, has given her a £90,000 car and she has been seen partying with Paris Hilton.

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