The Madonna fan and wheelchair user, who was called out by the pop icon for sitting down, has released a statement.
Back in October, the ‘Like a Virgin’ singer kicked off her highly anticipated world tour months after she was hospitalised with a severe bacterial infection.
Split into five acts, the immersive concert features sickening choreography, larger-than-life set pieces, a Beyoncé shout-out, Bob the Drag Queen and over 40 songs from her legendary catalogue.
In addition to the high-energy numbers, Madonna’s show includes stripped-down moments, like her heartfelt rendition of ‘Live to Tell’ – which is a tribute to the countless LGBTQIA+ individuals who lost their lives during the 1980s HIV/AIDS crisis.
While The Celebration Tour has garnered universal acclaim, it has also featured a couple of awkward moments.
On 9 March, a video of Madge mistakenly scolding a wheelchair user for sitting down went viral on social media.
“What are you doing sitting down over there? What are you getting sitting down?” the ‘Hung Up’ singer can be heard saying.
After discovering the individual’s situation, Madonna apologised to them, stating: “Oh okay, politically incorrect, sorry about that. I’m glad you’re here.”
Since that fateful day, the identity of the concertgoer remained a mystery, until now.
In a recent interview with TMZ, Vaness Gorman confirmed that she was the woman behind Madonna’s misguided comments.
Madonna questions fan for sitting down during her show then finds out they’re on a wheelchair:
“Oh okay, politically incorrect, sorry about that. I’m glad you’re here.” pic.twitter.com/oezHxfjrFn
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) March 9, 2024
Despite the awkward circumstances, Gorman said she wasn’t offended, adding that the legendary singer made a mistake.
“Some people are in wheelchairs and can stand; she had no idea I was paralysed,” she explained.
Towards the end of her statement, Gorman—who lost the ability to walk after a car accident in 1999—praised Madonna for delivering a swift and public apology.
This isn’t the first time the ‘4 Minutes’ singer and her Celebration tour have made headlines.
Back in January, two fans sued Madonna for kicking off the show two hours late.
In the filing, the concertgoers claimed that the show was scheduled to start at 8:30 pm but ended up kicking off a little after 10:45 pm, per ABC News.
Due to Madonna’s delay, the pair was “confronted with limited public transportation, limited ride-sharing, and/or increased public and private transportation costs” after the show concluded at 1:00 am.
The following month, Madge and her team were called out by the Luther Vandross estate after he was included in the ‘Live to Tell’ tribute.
“Luther Vandross passed away in 2005 due to complications from a stroke suffered two years earlier,” a spokesperson for the estate told Page Six.
“While we appreciate Madonna’s recognition of those lives lost to AIDS, Luther was NEVER diagnosed with AIDS or the HIV Virus. We’re not sure where she or her production team received false medical information claiming otherwise.”
It’s safe to say that Madonna and her Celebration world tour has been far from boring.
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