Sex, pole dance, blasphemy… Madonna in 8 memorable scandals

By Violaine Schütz, 

translation by Emma Naroumbo Armaing .

Published on 20 January 2023. Updated on 23 June 2026.

Madonna’s artistic identity has always been inseparable from controversy. Many of the scandals that have surrounded her career have actually helped shape her image as a trailblazer, especially regarding female sexuality, religion and freedom of expression. As her new album, Confessions II, is scheduled for release on July 3rd, 2026, Numéro takes a look back at the greatest outbursts and provocations of the pop music pioneer who inspired today’s singers, like Rihanna, Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Anitta, and Cardi B.

In recent years, Madonna has found herself at the centre of debates surrounding her physical appearance. Some online critics are claiming that she has undergone excessive cosmetic surgery, while others argue that she is too old to dance in such a sexual manner. After the release of Confessions II – The Film in June 2026, sexist and ageist criticism was widespread.

Recent controversies: Age, cosmetic surgery and huge delays

It often seems as though almost everything is held against the singer, whether fairly or not. During The Celebration Tour, many concertgoers expressed frustration over the star’s frequent and significant delays. She also sparked outrage after asking a disabled fan in a wheelchair to stand up during a concert, an incident that triggered widespread criticism.

The 67-year-old icon embarked on an international tour between 2023 and 2024. Produced by Live Nation, The Celebration Tour was supposed to kick off in the United States on July 15th, 2023, before continuing across Europe. However, following a serious bacterial infection that led to her hospitalization, the star was forced to suspend the tour and reschedule the concert dates.

The tour eventually started in London on October 14th, 2023. Madonna performed at Paris’s Accor Arena on November 12th, 13th, 19th and 20th, 2023. While she undeniably delivered on stage, she nevertheless faced criticism from some reviewers and audience members. The main aspects were the lack of power in her voice and a stage performance that did not have the energy they had expected.

Accusations of cultural appropriation

Before that, Madonna had faced other criticisms. In 2018, some people accused her of cultural appropriation on social media. The reason? One of her looks, inspired by North African and Middle Eastern aesthetics. At the MTV Video Music Awards, the star appeared in traditional North African-inspired clothing and jewellery, including a horned headdress, silver necklaces and a Moroccan-style tunic. Throughout her career, Madonna has repeatedly been accused of taking elements from various cultures, including African American, Latino, Japanese and South Asian cultures, for her own profit.

Madonna in a wedding dress for a not-so-virginal Like a Virgin

In 1984, Madonna became the reason for awakening the lust of many teenagers at the time. For her very first MTV Video Music Awards ceremony, the 26-year-old sang her hit song Like a Virgin. But her performance wasn’t quite innocent as the title would suggest. Dressed as a bride and wearing a belt with the words “boy toy” on it, she jumped out of a giant cake before swaying her hips in a lascivious way.

The climax of her highly erotic and so-called improvised performance? When Louise Ciccone, aka Madonna, decided to roll around on the floor and revealed her underwear. A position mimicking masturbation that allowed the powerful singer to make a statement. Huge sex appeal is not just for men, like Elvis Presley, George Michael, Michael Jackson, or Prince.

Madonna in Jean Paul Gaultier’s (i)conical underwear

Jean Paul Gaultier’s iconic conical corsets were not the only ones to make an impression. Other stories of Madonna’s underwear have also set the stage on fire. In 1987, Jacques Chirac, then mayor of the French capital and a huge fan of the singer of Holiday (1983), attended Madonna’s concert at the Parc de Sceaux near Paris. Yet, the latter knew that the future French president had a crush on her. She then decided to throw her fishnet panties into the audience, right in his direction.

The artist perfectly aimed her target and Jacques Chirac ended up with the present in his lap. Shortly afterward, the story continued when Madonna went to the Paris City Hall to deliver a 500,000 francs check to the Line association, chaired by Line Renaud. Jacques Chirac tenderly embraced her, and the sequence made both the tabloids and fans fantasize about a relationship between the two figures, just like Marilyn Monroe and John F. Kennedy.

Madonna’s sins and blasphemy on stage

In the music video for Like a Prayer (1989), the singer, who grew up in Michigan in a Catholic family of Italian origin, wore a not-so-traditional little black dress with straps. Her outfit caused a huge controversy, as the singer mixed effervescent sensuality with numerous religious symbols, like a church, a gospel choir, a cross, and candles. Some viewed her aesthetic mix as blasphemous, especially since Madonna appeared caressing a black Christ and danced in front of burning crosses reminiscent of the tragedies perpetrated by the Ku Klux Klan.

The Vatican and several religious associations expressed their anger towards the pop star’s unlimited audacity. Yet, it has never quieted the woman who proudly bears the name of the mother of Jesus. Later, during her Confessions Tour in 2006, the star appeared crucified on stage wearing a crown of thorns, long before Kendrick Lamar wore his Tiffany & Co. crown. Madonna, who dreamed of becoming a nun as a child, also featured dancers dressed as nuns, as well as cross-shaped poles during her Rebel Heart Tour (2015-1016). Once a rebel, always a rebel.

Jean-Baptiste Mondino’s aesthetically-pleasing collection of fantasies

In the sublime 1990 music video for Justify My Love directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, a close collaborator of Numéro, Madonna indulges in several fantasies in a glossy black and white aesthetic. SM practices, flirtation with different partners, explicit references to prostitution… Nothing seems forbidden in this collection of erotic scenes captured in the privacy of a hotel room at the Royal Monceau in Paris.

To add further scandal to the legendary video censored by MTV, the rumor that the lines between role-playing and reality were rather thin spread in no time. In the video, Madonna is kissing actor and model Tony Ward, her boyfriend at the time. The chemistry was electrifying.

Sex by Madonna, a sultry, avant-garde book

In 1992, Madonna decided to get to the bottom of her ambitious fantasies and published a coffee table book of photographs taken by Steven Meisel. Entitled Sex, it accompanied her album Erotica (1992). It was a pioneering work that heralded the porno-chic trend and paved the way for daring visual projects such as Beyoncé’s Lemonade (2016).

Among queer scenes, SM practices, and orgies, Madonna brought to life what would remain mere concepts for most mortals, while fighting against prejudices and narrow perceptions. Surrounded by Naomi Campbell, actress Isabella Rossellini, rapper Vanilla Ice, and porn star Joey Stefano, she went to great lengths to offer erotic shots, to the point of scaring off Warner, her record company. The “blasphemous” shots were the main issue. One example is the one in which the American singer is tied down to a table shaped like a cross. Released in a limited edition, the book is now available online at a premium… But it is worth the investment.

Confessions II by Madonna, coming out on July 3rd, 2026.