Madonna Opens Up About Hospitalization, Says It's a "Miracle" She's Alive

Madonna reflected on her recent medical issues at a stop on her Celebration Tour.

By Jenna Anderson

Over the years, Madonna has become a pop-culture icon, thanks to her prolific work as a musician, actor, and entertainer. Earlier this year, reports indicated that Madonna had been hospitalized for a severe bacterial infection, which briefly postponed her world tour and delayed her highly-anticipated upcoming biopic. During a recent appearance on her Celebration Tour, Madonna shed some light on her ordeal of the past few months, and said that her medical issues made her genuinely rethink her own mortality. 

"Less than four months ago, I was in a hospital and I was unconscious, and people were thinking, predicting that I might not make it," Madonna explained during a tour stop in Antwerp, Belgium. "So, it's a f---ing miracle that I'm here right now. My mother, God bless her, she must be watching over me — she said, 'Girl, it's not your time to go.' I suddenly had sympathy and empathy for my mother, not about the dying part, but how lonely she must have felt laying in a hospital, knowing that she wasn't going to live, and I was given another chance. So I'm very grateful for that."

What Happened to Madonna?

Earlier this summer, it was confirmed via Page Six that Madonna was recovering from the infection in a New York hospital. While the timeline of events is currently unclear, the report suggests that she was found unresponsive and rushed to the hospital that prior weekend, where she was intubated in the ICU. 

"On Saturday June 24, Madonna developed a serious bacterial infection which lead to a several day stay in the ICU," Madonna's manager, Guy Oseary, said in an Instagram post shortly after. "Her health is improving, however she is still under medical care. A full recovery is expected... As this time we will need to pause all commitments, which includes the tour. We will share more details with you soon as we have them, including a new start date for the tour and for rescheduled shows."

Is Madonna's Biopic Still Happening?

In recent years, reports have indicated that Madonna will be adapting her own life into a biopic film, which she would direct for Universal Pictures. The project underwent a grueling audition process, enlisting Ozark and Inventing Anna star Julia Garner to star, only to be put out of development in order to prioritize the Celebration Tour. The currently-untitled film was set to be produced by Amy Pascal, with its narrative ending on the 1990 "Blonde Ambition" tour. 

Garner was cast in the role following a series of grueling auditions that reportedly also included Florence Pugh (Black Widow), Alexa Demie (Euphoria), Odessa Young (Mothering Sunday), and Emma Laird (Mayor of Kingstown). According to reports from last year, the audition process included 11-hour choreography sessions with Madonna herself, as well as singing auditions.

"I want to convey the incredible journey that life has taken me on as an artist, a musician, a dancer — a human being, trying to make her way in this world," Madonna said in a statement when the project was announced. "The focus of this film will always be music. Music has kept me going and art has kept me alive. There are so many untold and inspiring stories and who better to tell it than me. It's essential to share the roller coaster ride of my life with my voice and vision."

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"This movie is an absolute labor of love for me," Pascal added. "I have known Madonna since we made 'A League of Their Own' together, and I can't imagine anything more thrilling than collaborating with her and Diablo on bringing her true-life story to the big screen with Donna and our partners at Universal."

What do you think of Madonna's latest health update? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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