Madonna has been one of the music world’s most successful pop stars since making her debut in the ’80s with megahits like “Vogue”, “Like a Prayer” and “Material Girl”—but even icons can be felled by illness.
The superstar was found unresponsive in her home on June 24th, 2023, and hospitalized with a severe bacterial infection that has put a pause on her planned Celebration global concert tour. But, most importantly, it seems the Material Girl herself is pushing through—and we have the scoop on Madonna’s latest health updates.
Madonna Sent To Intensive Care In Late June After Battling Fever For Weeks
Following in the footsteps of recent mega-tours like Taylor Swift's Eras concerts and Beyoncé's Renaissance performances, Madonna's Celebration tour was meant to, well, celebrate her illustrious 40-plus-years in the entertainment industry, with performances to kick off in Vancouver, Canada on July 15th. More than 80 dates were to follow all around the world, including huge dates in New York, London, Barcelona and more—and, perhaps, the pressure on the 64-year-old icon to perform may have pushed her to not seek medical help when symptoms began to emerge during the last month.
TMZ recently reported Madonna was battling a fever for longer than the month leading up to her hospitalization, but did not pursue treatment due to her concern that doing so would jeopardize the tour, which was to begin imminently. However, that delay apparently allowed whatever infection she had to spread, resulting in her being found unresponsive on June 24th.
Friend Rosie O'Donnell Updates Fans: 'She Is Recovering At Home'
More outlets have reported that Madonna was working "overtime" prepping for the exhaustive Celebration tour, and likely "burnt herself out" trying to get performance-perfect in time for July 15. An insider told The Sun, "Pushing herself so hard was extremely risky," adding that close associates had cautioned the star to take it easy in the midst of her tireless rehearsing.
View this post on Instagram
We hadn't heard a ton about Madonna's situation until July 3rd, when old friend and League of Their Own co-star Rosie O'Donnell shared a picture of herself with the sometimes-actress from the film on Instagram. Many commenters posted on the picture, asking if Rosie knew how Madonna was doing since her hospitalization. The comedian delivered: "She is recovering at home," said Rosie. "She is very strong in general."
View this post on Instagram
Indeed, the Evita star has been discharged from the hospital, and her manager, Guy Oseary, has written on Instagram that "At this time we will need to pause all commitments, which includes the tour. We will share more details with you as soon as we have them, including a new start date for the tour and for rescheduled shows." The source that spoke with The Sun backed up this statement, saying the singer was "home, happy, and taking meetings." They also shared, "[Madonna] has rejected a proposal to scale back on the tour as she still wants to deliver as many dates as possible when she's regained her strength."
The Celebration tour is certain to be a spectacle to behold—but we wish Madonna good rest and a speedy recovery first. After all, concerts can wait...but good health is evergreen.
