MADONNA’S family were told to “expect the worst” by doctors after the pop superstar was rushed to hospital with a “serious bacterial infection.”
The mum-of-six, 64, was forced to postpone her upcoming world tour after her stay in intensive care which experts believe was caused by life-threatening sepsis.
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This comes as Madonna attended an event in Manhattan on Saturday and was said to be “fine” before she was found unconscious at her home.
A source said: “Madonna appeared to be fine on Saturday but hours later she was seriously unwell.
“It has been incredibly traumatic and upsetting for her family, friends and team.
“She went to the Met on Friday to look at Karl Lagerfeld’s exhibition. No one could have predicted what happened next.”
As she was being treated in intensive care in New York, the Queen of Pop’s family were told to “expect the worse”.
Daughter Lourdes, 26, flew in from Paris to be by her mother’s side, as son Rocco, 22, rushed in from London.
Along with her other children, Mercy, 17, David Banda, 17, and ten-year-old twin daughters Stella and Estere, they are believed to be at her home in the Big Apple while their mum, who was yesterday released from hospital, recovers.
David and Rocco looked thoughtful as they were spotted returning to the pad on Wednesday, while Lourdes last night posted a shot of her looking serious on Instagram.
Insiders have since revealed that Madonna’s team held a crisis meeting on Sunday night, the day after she was admitted to hospital, as they feared the worst.
Gruelling rehearsals
Ultimately it was decided her upcoming tour needed to be cancelled as her team — many of whom have worked with the star for years — waited in horror to hear news from the hospital.
Madonna’s representatives have yet to confirm exactly what caused her to become so ill, saying only it was a “serious bacterial infection”.
But experts believe it could be sepsis, the body’s extreme response to an infection which can lead to major organ failure.
Yesterday on television, Dr Amir Khan said he was led to that conclusion from the information given by Madonna’s team.
He explained: “It will be worrying for Madonna fans.
“She was found unconscious in New York, rushed to hospital where she spent a night in ICU intubated.
“Her manager has said she has been suffering from a bacterial infection, but as a healthcare professional, if you’re in ICU and you’re unconscious with a bacterial infection that suggests she may have been suffering from sepsis.”
Madonna had been in the middle of gruelling 12-hour rehearsals for her upcoming 84-date tour when she became unwell.
The superstar, who has sold 300million records worldwide, previously said her tours are so physically draining she would be left in tears, but would push through the pain for the sake of her fans.
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Madonna’s manager Guy Oseary confirmed in a statement that she spent several days in intensive care.
He added: “Her health is improving. However, she is still under medical care. A full recovery is expected. At this time we will need to pause all commitments, which includes the tour.”
Madonna had been locked in rehearsals be- fore falling ill and had been training and dancing for 12 hours a day ahead of what would have been her opening date in Vancouver, Canada, on July 15.
The Madonna: The Celebration Tour was intended to be her big- gest since 2012, with 84 shows planned across six months.
Previously, her personal trainer, Stacey Griffith, explained that Madonna would train for five hours a day to get her physical fitness up to peak, with the Material Girl admitting she would often be in tears because of the pressure she put upon herself.
Stacey said: “Pro athletes train all day. Madonna trains all day. She trains for five hours a day, non-stop.”
In May, Madonna revealed she had started preparations for her tour, which is now being rescheduled.
She shared a video on social media where she was seen performing a complicated dance routine — an impressive feat for a woman who will be eligible to draw her state pension in August next year.
Speaking to the camera, she admitted: “I’m f***ing exhausted, but I’m so happy.”
Madonna’s dedication to her craft has been unwavering throughout her hugely successful 40-year career.
She has spoken at length about her drive to put on show-stopping displays for her fans, saying she is a perfectionist who will push herself to the limit to be her best.
“I started as a dancer, and that’s informed my way of being on stage and my way of using space,” she said.
‘Control freak’
“That’s why I can work those long hours and keep going.
“Dancers are a breed of their own. We punish ourselves and we push through the pain. Even if we’re injured, we don’t care.”
Describing her personality, she admitted: “I’m anal retentive. I’m a workaholic. I have insomnia. And I’m a control freak.”
The toll of going on tours is not lost on Madonna, who with 13 No1 singles and 12 No1 albums is the best-selling female artist of all time. She suffered from exhaustion on her jaw-dropping MDNA tour in 2012, which saw her performing 88 dates in seven months.
She said afterwards: “It was probably the hardest tour I’ve ever done. I was a mess. Just talk to my manager.
“But in my book, if you don’t leave a pound of flesh on the stage every night, you did not do your job. Go hard or go home.”
She added: “But you know, I sold the tickets and I can’t let my audience down.
“Even if I hadn’t slept the night before and I’m exhausted, before every show everyone came into my dressing room, and we got into a circle and we held hands and we said prayers. Fifty per cent of the time I said them, and 49 per cent of the time I was crying, usually from over-exhaustion.”
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Madonna has previously been forced to cancel dates after suffering from burnout.
During her Madame X tour in 2019 and 2020 she had to call time on three dates in the US because of “overwhelming pain”.
She went on to pull dates when she kicked off the UK leg, telling her fans she had been advised to take a break.
Madonna said at the time: “As you all know I have injuries that have plagued me since the beginning of the tour but I must always listen to my body and put my health first.
“The last thing I want to do is disappoint my fans or compromise the integrity of my show. So I will keep going until I cannot.”
Those close to Madonna are understood to be urging her not to rush her recovery.
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A source said: “Madonna is under the best care and the focus now is purely on her wellbeing.
“She is a consummate professional and will want to be back on her feet and moving forward but there is no rush.”
Madonna’s tour is now being rescheduled and could likely be pushed back to next year and into 2025 depending on her recovery and the availability of the venues she wants to play.
The insider added: “All anyone wants is for her to get back to her best.”
38 YEARS OF WORLD TOURS
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1985: The Virgin Tour
Apr-Jun: 40 shows, 40,000 fans
1987: Who’s That Girl World Tour
Jun-Sep: 38 shows, 1.3m fans
1990: Blond Ambition Tour
Apr-Aug: 57 shows, 2m fans
1993: The Girlie Show
Sep-Dec: 39 shows, 1.2m fans
2001: Drowned World Tour
Jun-Sep: 47 shows, 730,606 fans
2004: Re-Invention World Tour
May-Sep: 56 shows, 897,207 fans
2006: Confessions Tour
May-Sep: 60 shows, 1.2m fans
2008-2009: Sticky & Sweet Tour
Aug ’08-Sep ’09: 85 shows, 3.5m fans
2012: The MDNA Tour
May-Dec: 88 shows, 2.2m fans
2015-2016: Rebel Heart Tour
Sep ’15-Mar ’16: 82 shows, 1m fans
2019-2020: Madame X Tour
Sep ’19-Mar ’20: 75 shows, 179,289 fans
EASE UP – YOU’RE NEARLY A PENSIONER
By Ellie Henman
FOR a woman just over a year away from getting her bus pass, Madonna is still the pinnacle of pop perfection.
But like so many older female performers, she is under intense pressure to keep up the on-stage antics of a woman less than half her age.
While more mature male performers can get away with taking to the stage in jeans, T-shirt and a guitar, there is an industry expectation for Madonna to sing, swing and slut-drop her way through her 90-minute sets.
Cher, for example, got through 11 costume changes during her Las Vegas residency in 2017 at the age of 71. And squeezing in and out of those skin-tight sequin bodysuits is no mean feat.
Madonna’s concerts are all about high drama and high-octane performances. But I wonder if the pressure wasn’t so intense, maybe she would feel able to take it down a notch.
I bow down to Madonna’s dedication to her craft and unwavering loyalty to her fans.
But ultimately there is only so much one person’s body, and mind, can take in a lifetime.
And if it were my mum who was in this position, I know I would be telling her to slow down because nothing in life is more important than your health.
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