Madonna has spoken out and slapped back at her critics after people suggested she looked unrecognizable at the Grammy Awards.
On Sunday evening, the 64-year-old music icon and pop queen took to the stage at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena to announce performers Kim Petras and Sam Smith who won the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group.
Addressing the glamorous audience, the ‘Like a Virgin’ hitmaker said: “Are you ready for a little controversy?
“Here’s what I’ve learned after four decades in music. If they call you shocking, scandalous problematic, provocative or dangerous, you are definitely onto something.”
She added: “I am here to give thanks to all the rebels out here forging a new path and taking the heat for all of it. You guys need to know, all you trouble makers out there, you need to know that your fearlessness does not go unnoticed. You are seen. You are heard and most of all, you are appreciated.”
Rather than taking note of her speech, however, plenty of viewers called out the singer over her “bizarre” appearance and her “unrecognizable” visage.
“Madonna needs to stop with the plastic surgery and embrace the aging process. She’s nearly unrecognizable at this point,” someone wrote.
“So, I am just now watching the #GRAMMYs. Madonna doesn’t quite look like @Madonna to me,” another said.
After thousands of people criticized the singer’s new looks, Madonna hit back at her critics and blamed her “distorted” face on the camera lens.
“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!!” she insisted in a lengthy statement.
“Once again I am caught in the glare of ageism and misogyny That permeates the world we live in. A world that refuses to celebrate women pass the age of 45 And feels the need to punish her If she continues to be strong willed, hard-working and adventurous.”
The singer continued: “I have 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 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.”
Concluding her press release, Madonna insisted that negative comments won’t break her soul and that she looks forward “to many more years of subversive behavior.”
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