Madonna’s latest concert nearly ended early after the singer said “the show will not go on until you respect me” during an on-stage rant.
The 65-year-old pop icon is nearing the end of her world-conquering Celebrations Tour which kicked off in London, England, back in October and is set to conclude in Mexico this month.
During her recent concert at the Kaseya Center in Miami on Saturday (March 6), the ‘Vogue’ songstress was plagued with technical issues.
According to eyewitnesses, the air conditioning in the arena affected her voice, prompting her to direct her anger at the venue staff and tour crew.
Madonna’s latest concert in Miami nearly ended abruptly early. Credit: Kevin Mazur / Getty
A visibly angry Madonna told the staff during the concert’s third act, which sees her perform in nothing but a silk slip: “You don’t know how much I’ve been waiting for this the whole f***ing show.
“I am working my a** off, I deserve it. Respect me. The show will not go on until you respect me,” she continued, to cheers from the audience.
In another video shared online, she can be heard stating: “I also work very hard, cause I am a mother, and I am artist. And I … am a Queen, yes,” and explained to fans: “I get really mad when people don’t care about my health. This is my 71st show. And I will keep going.”
Watch the moments below:
Many fans took to the comments section to praise the Queen of Pop for standing up for herself.
One user wrote: “She deserves respect. She is literally an inspiration to every artist out here,”
Another chimed in: “And I absolutely love her for this!! If anyone thinks she’s acting like a diva or something like that think again. The A/C is very damaging to singer’s throats.”
A third commented: “She’s allowed to stand up for herself… She’s working her a** off just like they are.”
Madonna. Credit: Kevin Mazur / Getty
Madonna’s tour has been successful, with many sold-out shows, although there have been some moments of scandal for the ‘Material Girl’ hitmaker, largely deriving from her sporadic on-stage outbursts and comments.
Last month, the singer made headlines after she called out a concertgoer named Vanessa Gorman, who uses a wheelchair, from the stage and questioned why they weren’t standing and dancing with the rest of the crowd. “What are you doing sitting down over there?” she asked the fan while pointing. “What are you doing sitting down?”
Seemingly unable to hear their response, the ‘Like A Prayer’ musician walked closer to the edge of the stage before realizing that they were using a wheelchair.
She then acknowledged the error and quickly apologized, telling them: “Oh, OK. Politically incorrect. Sorry about that. I’m glad you are here,” before resuming her position at the center of the stage.
Watch the moment below:
The concertgoer – who is paraplegic from a motor vehicle accident in 1999 – opened up about the toe-curdling incident in a new interview with TMZ, telling the outlet that she was not offended by the musician’s words: “Some people are in wheelchairs and can stand. She had no idea I was paralyzed.”
Gorman admitted that she was starstruck over being noticed by her idol, and was even heard shouting “I love you!” during a video taken from her viewpoint.
She also said that she was surprised when Madonna didn’t initially see that she was in a bright pink wheelchair and applauded the singer for apologizing immediately