Madonna responded to commenters who criticized her appearance at the Grammy Awards on Sunday.
She had been on stage to announce Sam Smith and Kim Petras’s performance of “Unholy,” when viewers started making unnecessary comments online about her appearance.
Madonna addressed the comments on Instagram, writing that “instead of focusing on what I said in my speech which was about giving thanks for the fearlessness of artists like Sam and Kim- Many people chose to only talk about Close-up photos of me Taken with a long lens camera By a press photographer that Would distort anyone’s face!!”
“Once again I am caught in the glare of ageism and misogyny That permeates the world we live in,” she continued. “A world that refuses to celebrate women past the age of 45 and feels the need to punish her if she continues to be strong willed, hard-working and adventurous.”
Madonna then pointed out how she has “never apologized for any of the creative choices I have made nor the way that I look or dress and I’m not going to start.”
“I have been degraded by the media since the beginning of my career,” she added, “but I understand that this is all a test and I am happy to do the trailblazing so that all the women behind me can have an easier time in the years to come.”
She then quoted Beyoncé as she told the haters “You won’t break my soul” before adding that she “[looked] forward to many more years of subversive behavior -pushing boundaries- Standing up to the patriarchy -and Most of all enjoying my life. Bow down bitches! 💃🏼🪩🎤💄🎼👠”
The post was accompanied by a video of Madonna in true “IDGAF” mode at the Grammys, showing her partying backstage with Sam Smith and Cardi B, sucking face with rapper Jozzy, and other fun shenanigans. You can see the video here:
