Madonna dines with punk stars after charity gig

Madonna proved her dedication to the newly-free members of Russian punk collective Pussy Riot by reportedly dining with them in New York City following their appearance at a charity gig this week (beg03Feb14).

The pop superstar introduced Maria Alekhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova during the Amnesty International concert at the Barclays Center on Wednesday (05Feb14) and made a speech about their activism and legal woes.

It has now emerged Madonna spent time with the pair following the concert and was spotted engaged in conversation with the Russian women via a translator at the Big Apple's Antica Pesa restaurant, according to New York Post gossip column Page Six.

A source tells the publication, "Madonna in head-to-toe black, fingerless gloves and a gold-and-diamond grill. She was in deep conversation with the Pussy Riot girls all night. She looked very interested in what they said."

Alekhina and Tolokonnikova were jailed for two years along with their bandmate Yekaterina Samutsevich after performing a protest song against Russian President Vladimir Putin in a Moscow church.

Samutsevich's sentence was commuted in October, 2012 and Alekhina and Tolokonnikova were released as part of an amnesty in December (13).