‘What are you doing sitting down over there?’
A fan in a wheelchair who was told by Madonna to stand up during a concert has spoken out about the incident.
Since last October, the pop legend has been performing across the world as part of her Celebrations Tour.
But she found herself at the centre of controversy after a recent show at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada.
During her performance, the 65-year-old asked a woman in the crowd: “What are you doing sitting down over there? What are you doing sitting down?”
However, when Madonna walked over to the woman, she noticed the fan was a wheelchair user.
The singer quickly acknowledged her mistake, saying: “Oh, OK. Politically incorrect. Sorry about that. I’m glad you are here.”
The awkward moment went viral on social media, with many calling out Madonna for the moment.
One person wrote: “She shouldn’t ask fans like that, that’s called arrogance.”
Another said: “Ok you shouldn’t be calling people out for sitting down anyways. She’s not the queen of England. Some people are tired or have conditions where they need to sit. You want them to leave altogether?”
The concertgoer in question has since spoken to TMZ about the moment.
Vanessa Gorman told the outlet that she took no offence to Madonna’s words, saying: “Some people are in wheelchairs and can stand. She had no idea I was paralyzed.”
Gorman revealed she was more preoccupied by the fact that Madonna had noticed her, and could be heard shouting “I love you” at the pop star in a video taken from her viewpoint.
She added that she was grateful to Madonna for immediately apologising for her mistake.
This isn’t the first time this year that Madonna has made headlines for disagreements with her fans. In January, she was sued by two fans after allegedly starting a concert more than two hours later than scheduled.
The accusers were angered at Madonna’s decision to not take to the stage at the Brooklyn’s Barclays Center until 22:45 on Wednesday, December 13, 2023 – two-and-a-quarter hours after the scheduled 20.30 start time.
Related links:
Fan left fuming after being told newborn required £90 ticket to attend Pink concert
Everyone is saying the same thing about the ‘worst ever’ Glastonbury lineup
Jedward slam ‘cold-hearted’ Louis Walsh after his ‘vile’ comments on air
