Madonna: “She just 'wrong footed' herself!”: Madonna sparks online fury after questioning a fan in a wheelchair for sitting down during concert

Madonna has come under fire after she called out a fan during her Celebration tour concert in Los Angeles for sitting down. On Thursday, the 65-year-old singer-songwriter stopped mid-concert to address the fan:

“What are you doing sitting down over there? What are you getting sitting down?”

Expand Tweet

As she moved closer to the edge of the stage to approach the crowd, she realized the fan was sitting in a wheelchair. The “Hung Up” hitmaker quickly retracted and apologized to the person:

“Oh, OK. Politically incorrect. Sorry about that. I’m glad you’re here.”

The short clip went viral online, infuriating viewers as they slammed the singer. Many called her ‘ableist’ and ‘entitled’. Her apology also did not sit well as netizens claimed it lacked sincerity and her tone was dismissive. One X user commented on Pop Crave’s repost of the video and said Madonna ended up putting herself in an embarrassing situation by singling out the fan from the audience.

Madonna slammed for unknowingly calling out a fan in a wheelchair. (Image via X/@PopCrave)

Madonna faces backlash online for questioning a fan in wheelchair for sitting down during LA concert

Netizens were furious at how the "Vogue" singer demanded the fan stands up and not remain seated. They pointed out that everyone in an audience at a concert does not need to stand up throughout the show. One can sit down if they wish to, irrespective of any disabilities.

People explained that a person might need to sit down during a concert for many reasons — they can feel tired from all the jumping, they may suddenly feel unwell, or they may have certain medical conditions that stops them from standing for a long period. Netizens said artists holding a concert should not demand how the audience should enjoy their performances as long as they paid for the tickets.

The singer sparks fury for calling out a fan in wheelchair during LA concert. (Image via X/@PopCrave)

The video was reposted on TikTok and Reddit as well where many concertgoer's in general shared their experiences of injuries before attending a show. They empathized with the fan in a wheelchair and criticized Madonna’s lack of sensitivity.

About the author

Amrita is a trends writer at SK POP. She completed her post-graduation in English Language and Literature and has a rich writing experience in covering diverse topics such as blockchain technology, product reviews, travel guides, subtitles, and pop culture. However, her personal interest has always been in popular culture, which has aided her with injecting fresh insights to her stories.

Amrita emphasizes familiarizing herself with the topic at hand before approaching it solely from a writer’s perspective. She usually takes the longer route in sifting through all available information online, and makes use of primary sources and verified/official social media handles to check for consistency in details.

In case of discrepancies, she delves deeper into the primary and secondary sources for clarification, choosing to let go of a detail in case its accuracy cannot be established. She supports this approach by centering objectivity in her reportage, keeping her tone neutral at all times.

When not obsessing over a particular detail in her report, Amrita can be found reading fiction or exploring new shows or movies.

Know More

Edited by Amrita Das