Madonna Health Update + A Look Back at Madonna Through the Years

Ever since she shimmied onto the scene in the 1980’s, Madonna has become one of the most successful, driven and beloved female pop stars of all time. She has taken the last four decades by storm and in 2023 she hasn’t slowed down — until now. On June 24th, 2023 Madonna was hospitalized with a severe bacterial infection after being found unresponsive in her home. Here, an update on her condition and a look at the star through the years.

How did Madonna end up in the ICU?

Madonna had been rehearsing non-stop for her “Celebration” tour — which had been envisioned as a way to honor her 40-year career and was set to kick off in Vancouver on July 15. The performer had more than 80 dates scheduled on the world tour including six nights each in New York, Los Angeles, and London. All those plans are now up in the air as a result of her hospitalization.

It turns out that Madonna may have had a low-level illness through the last month of planning. TMZ recently reported that the 64-year-old was dealing with a fever for more than a month leading up to her hospitalization, but she kept it a secret. She worried if she sought medical care, it might jeopardize the tour, which she’s been working so hard to prepare for. The delay in seeking care allowed the infection to worsen.

On top of not taking the time to care for herself and address the fever, a source close to the singer told The Sun Madonna was working “overtime” before getting sick. “She clearly burnt herself out,” the source says, adding that loved ones warned her to take it easy. “Pushing herself so hard was extremely risky.”

How is Madonna feeling now?

Long-time-friend and League of Their Own co-star Rosie O’Donnell shared a throwback photo on July 3rd, 2023 of her and Madonna on Instagram, writing: “Remember when?”

In the comments section of her post, one of Madonna’s fans asked the comedian, 61, about how the “Vogue” singer was doing after her health scare. O’Donnell responded to the fan’s question, writing: “She is recovering at home – she is very strong in general.”

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A post shared by Rosie O’Donnell (@rosie)

Since been discharged from the hospital, Madonna’s manager, Guy Oseary, has said her recovery is going to be a process in which her health is prioritized over her performances.

When will Madonna’s 2023 tour be rescheduled?

Oseary, updated fans via 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.”

Oseary did not reveal how long the tour would be postponed or when it would start again but promised to share new and rescheduled dates “soon as we have them.”

Despite still taking time to recover, Madonna is still set on continuing with the tour as soon as possible. The Sun’s source adds that Madonna is, “home, happy and taking meetings, and she 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.”

We hope and pray that Madonna is fully back to health soon and is able to resume the Celebration tour — while also caring for herself and her wellbeing.

A little retrospective: Madonna through the years

In the meantime, here’s a mini “celebration” with a look back at some of Madonna most iconic moments over the last 40 years.

1984

Madonna shines at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards. It was this night where she gave a career defining performance of her hit song, “Like a Virgin,” where she danced around in a white, wedding-style dress in a way that left some viewers clutching their pearls.

1986

Madonna and Sean Penn both acted in the 1986 film, Shanghai Surprise. Madonna and Penn were actually married from 1985 to 1989.

1987

Madonna stars alongside Rosie O’Donnell in A League of Their Own. The film also included actors like Tom Hanks and Geena Davis, putting Madonna on the same playing field as some of Hollywood’s most popular faces.

1988

In the music video for “Papa Don’t Preach,” Madonna stars alongside actor Danny Aiello, the song telling the story of a young girl who gets pregnant and plans on keeping her child, despite the strain it might put on her relationship with her father.

1989

Madonna put out the music video for “Like a Prayer” in 1989, which received backlash from the Catholic Church.

1990

Madonna’s “cone bra” became a fixture in her onstage wardrobe, as seen here during her Blonde Ambition Tour in 1990.

1991

Madonna attends the 1991 Academy Awards alongside Michael Jackson.

1996

Madonna played the role of Eva Perón in the film Evita. Her performance earned her a Golden Globe win for Best Actress — Motion Picture Comedy or Musical in 1997.

2001

Madonna and Guy Ritchie christened their son Rocco in Scotland in 2000 and got married the next day. The couple first got together in 1998, but divorced in 2008.

2002

In 2002, Madonna did the title song, “Die Another Day” for the film of the same name in the James Bond series. The singer also appeared in the film.

2008

Britney Spears joined Madonna onstage during her tour in 2008. This wasn’t the first time the duo found themselves on stage together. In 2003, they shared a kiss on stage during a performance at the MTV VMA’s that made headlines.

2012

In 2012, Madonna performed at Super Bowl XLVI in Indiana where the New York Giants played the New England Patriots. Madonna was the first female artist to headline the Super Bowl since Diana Ross did in 1996.

2016

Madonna performs at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards.

2018

Madonna stunned at the 2018 Met Gala, showing the world that her daring sense of style hasn’t diminished over the years.

2023

Madonna attended the 2023 Grammy Awards in February.