Last week, Madonna had an embarrassing incident during a concert in Los Angeles. The 65-year-old singer called out a fan in the audience for sitting down, only for Madonna to realize the individual was wheelchair-bound.
“What are you doing sitting down over there? What are you getting sitting down?” Madonna asked, as she approached the edge of the stage to hear the fan’s response. As she got a closer look at the person, she then realized that they were physically incapable of standing. “Oh, OK. Politically incorrect. Sorry about that,” Madonna apologized to the audience member. “I’m glad you are here.”
Video of Madonna’s insensitive comment has gone viral on social media, where users have condemned the pop star’s treatment of the fan. Some slammed the singer, pointing out that despite Madonna’s astronomical wealth, she lacks class based on her conduct here.
Another fan of the singer’s noted that the comments were incredibly disrespectful to people who wish to attend Madonna’s shows, but feel that they can’t stand for the entire duration of a concert. “As a Madonna fan and I person who will likely end up using a wheelchair in the future due to balance issues; I am highly disappointed. Some people fail to realize that disabilities come in many different ways. Just shameful,” they said.
“Apologize now with normal sentiment for the wheelchair comment,” another social media user said, calling out the celebrity. “It wasn’t “politically incorrect” it was a total complete error on your part for assuming everyone at your age of concert goers can stand the entire time. Shame on you. You think wayyyy too highly of yourself,” they said.
However, some have been more understanding of Madonna’s mistake, giving her credit for recognizing the fan was disabled and swiftly issuing an apology. “It’s good to see Madonna being quick to recognize and apologize for unintentional mistakes. It’s important to be considerate and inclusive of all audience members, regardless of their abilities,” one person stated. “Its not that serious. Leave her alone!” another user said.
Madonna also made headlines recently for an onstage accident last month. The singer fell off her chair while being dragged across the stage amid a performance of her song “Open Your Heart.” After the fall, she quickly got back up and continued singing.
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Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.