Madonna has been filmed apologising to a concertgoer in a wheelchair, after she initially questioned why they weren’t standing up while she performed.
In footage taken during the US leg of her Celebration tour and shared on social media in recent days, the singer, speaking on her microphone, tells the audience member: “Take this ride with me! What are you doing sitting down over there? What are you doing sitting down?”, before walking over to the person to cheers from the audience.
Upon realising her mistake, she says: “Oh, OK. Politically incorrect, sorry about that. I’m glad you’re here.” The Guardian has contacted her UK representatives for further comment.
Madonna questions fan for sitting down during her show then finds out they’re on a wheelchair:
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) March 9, 2024
“Oh okay, politically incorrect, sorry about that. I’m glad you’re here.” pic.twitter.com/oezHxfjrFn
Madonna plays the final concert of a five-night run at Kia Forum in Los Angeles on Monday night, before heading across southern states for the remainder of the Celebration tour’s US leg.
She caused controversy earlier on in the tour run by starting a New York concert at 10.30pm, resulting in a lawsuit from a disgruntled pair of fans. Her management team and promoter Live Nation said they would “vigorously” defend the suit, saying the late start arose from a technical problem during a sound check.
Celebration is taking place following a postponement last year when Madonna suffered a serious bacterial infection and was hospitalised in June. She later said the health scare made her realise “how lucky I am to be alive”.
