On August 16, Madonna turned 65 years old, and she certainly has a lot to celebrate this year. After overcoming a terrifying illness that landed her in the ICU, she is back on her feet. The illness caused her to have to postpone the beginning of her Celebration tour, but soon enough she’ll be back up on that stage.
In addition to celebrating a milestone birthday, this year marks the 40th anniversary since the debut of her self-titled first album. To commemorate this iconic moment in history, journalist Mary Gabriel wrote a book about the trailblazing woman, both as a person and as an artist.
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Madonna experienced a major health scare this summer.
In June, the singer was found unresponsive and rushed to the hospital. She spent time in the intensive care unit.
Her reps confirmed that she was suffering from complications of a "serious bacterial infection."
"The closest she has come to a debilitating medical condition is when she fell off her horse in 2005. That set her back for a few months," Mary, the author of Madonna: A Rebel Life, told Hello! exclusively. "And then, during her Madame X tour, in 2019-2020, she suffered excruciating pain from hip and leg ailments that ultimately caused her to cancel concerts."
Her kids are the most important thing to Madonna.
After being hospitalized, she shared on Instagram that her kids "really showed up" for her. "I saw a side to them I had never seen before. It made all the difference."
"She says she is always torn between being a mother and being an artist," Mary explained. "She has struck a balance by making her children part of her work — they're in the studio, at rehearsals, on tour, and sometimes onstage."
When Nicki Minaj worked with Madonna on her album MDNA back in 2012, if her kids showed up at the studio, Madonna would stop working to give them her full attention, Gabriel shared.
"I was just like, that’s the epitome of who I want to be," Nicki said. "If I can balance a family and career, then I win."
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She also really likes celebrating birthdays.
Apparently birthdays are a big deal in Madonna’s household, and hers is no exception. It might actually be one of the biggest celebrations.
"Most years, it's an excuse to gather her children and closest friends, and take them someplace special," Mary told Hello!. "The South of France, southern Italy, Cuba, Morocco — where she and they can celebrate each other."
The star isn't sugarcoating the reality that she's 65, either.
The author also called Madonna a "realist" about the fact that she’s getting older. "Aging is inescapable," Mary shared.
Over the last few years, the singer has been subject to scrutiny around her appearance — there has been speculation about what kind of cosmetic procedures she might have had done, including fillers. Because of her recent illness, some of those critiques and criticisms have died down, and Mary believes this could lead to something positive.
"I hope the media is finally ready to look at the scope of her career, her impact on the world, her contributions to culture, and the courage it has taken for her to remain true to her vision despite decades of bullying."
Madonna has always been an icon and will continue to be.
Recently, Madonna and her youngest daughters were seen at Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour. During the show, Bey gave the "queen mother" a shout-out.
"Madonna has been called the architect of the modern pop spectacle," Mary explained. "No one before her made a pop concert a theatrical experience."
Madonna even shared a photo of her and her daughters alongside Beyoncé and her younger daughter, Rumi.
