Kabbalah chief blame 'darkness' and disgruntled former members for negative stories and collapse of Madonna's Malawi charity

By Daily Mail Reporter
Updated: 20:35 EST, 1 April 2011

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Karen Berg sent an email to Kabbalah members telling them it was ex members who had brought the church into disrepute

Karen Berg sent an email to Kabbalah members telling them it was ex members who had brought the religion into disrepute

A leader of the Kabbalah centre has blamed the onslaught of negative stories in the media about the religion on disgruntled former members who 'have now turned against us'.

Karen Berg, wife of centre founder Philip Berg, wrote a private email to members yesterday regarding the 'rumours' circulating the centre.

It said: 'It is especially painful and disappointing that there appears to be a small group of individuals who are trying to discredit the Kabbalah Centre.

'We consider all our students to be part of our family -- including those who have now turned against us.

'In sharing Kabbalah with the world for the last 40 years, we learned the many ways chaos and darkness can manifest themselves.

'We understand that the darkest part of the night is just before the dawn.'

High profile members include Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Gwyneth Paltrow, and of course Madonna, who would all have received the email.

The collapse of Madonna's Raising Malawi charity and subsequent lawsuits and IRS investigation are all being blamed on these 'disgruntled' former members.

Madonna founded Raising Malawi with Michael Berg, son of Karen and Philip, in 2006.

But they were forced to scrap plans to build a $15million girls school, which the popstar pledged to do as a 'gift' to the country she adopted two of her children from, after $3.8million was spent without even getting anything off the ground.

Plans canned: Madonna lay the first stone during a bricklaying ceremony at her Girls Academy site near the capital Lilongwe last year, before canning the project

There have been reports that the money was lavishly spent on office space, cars and golf membership.

The school was to take in 500 girls and prepare them as women leaders of the future.

They have yet to account for all of the funds that have already been spent.

Madonna is now being sued by eight workers who lost their jobs when she scrapped the project. They are suing the singer for unfair dismissal and non-payment of benefits.

Mrs Berg said that the centre's 'formal role with raising Malawi has come to a conclusion' and revealed that a new board of directors had been appointed to manage the foundation.

In the email, she also revealed her disdain for Showbiz411 reporter Roger Friedman who said that the Bergs were being probed by the IRS

She wrote: 'An Internet blogger, who regularly trafficks in rumours about the entertainment industry, has written that there is a federal inquiry underway . . . We have received no formal or official notification from the government . . . but we fully intend to work cooperatively to support an examination of our activities.'

According to Friedman the Kabbalah Centre is being sued in Los Angeles for $20 million by Courtenay Geddes, a wealthy donor who claims that she was swindled by the Centre and the Bergs.

Madonna with her adopted Malawian child Mercy James during a bricklaying ceremony at the site of her Raising Malawi Girls Academy which has now been scrapped

Kabbalah Centre lawyer Mathew S. Rosengart told the New York Post last night: 'The centre has still not received any official notification of any investigation.'

Madonna has poured millions into Malawi through her charity in recent years after the controversial adoption from the country of her two youngest children David and Mercy.