Content Warning: This article discusses sexual assault. If you or someone you know are affected by the following story, you are not alone. To speak to someone, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732.
Madonna has shared an angry response to a recent profile in the New York Times which she claims left her feeling “raped”.
On June 14th, Madonna is set to release her 14th studio album, Madame X. Her first record since 2015’s Rebel Heart, fans are undoubtedly looking forward to the new album, and the artist herself is hard at work on the promotional circuit.
One such piece of promotion came in a recent profile by The New York Times. Titled “Madonna At Sixty”, the piece gives an in-depth insight into the star’s musical journey but according to Madonna herself, fixates too strongly on her age.
Taking to Instagram recently, the artist shared a strongly-worded response directed to the journalist behind the article, noting that it’s an example of how society aims to “diminish, disparage or degrade” people such as “strong independent women”.
“To say that I was disappointed in the article would be an understatement,” Madonna began. “It seems you cant fix society and its endless need to diminish, disparage or degrade that which they know is good. Especially strong independent women.
“The journalist who wrote this article spent days and hours and months with me and was invited into a world which many people don’t get to see, but chose to focus on trivial and superficial matters such as the ethnicity of my stand in or the fabric of my curtains and never ending comments about my age which would never have been mentioned had I been a MAN!
“Women have a really hard time being the champions of other women even if they are posing as intellectual feminists.
“Im sorry i spent 5 minutes with her. It makes me feel raped. And yes I’m allowed to use that analogy having been raped at the age of 19,” Madonna added, referring to the author’s note in the article that “It didn’t feel right to explain that women these days were trying not to use that word metaphorically.”
“Further proof that the venerable N.Y.T. Is one of the founding fathers of the Patriarchy,” the artist concluded. “And I say—-DEATH TO THE PATRIARCHY woven deep into the fabric of Society. I will never stop fighting to eradicate it.”
While The New York Times have not publicly responded to Madonna’s criticism of the profile, the controversy does echo a similar instance of sexism faced by Taylor Swift recently, in which the artist was questioned if she would soon settle down and have kids upon turning 30.
“I really do not think men are asked that question when they turn 30,” Swift replied. “So I’m not going to answer that question now.”
Check out ‘Crave’ by Madonna:
