Madonna confirms health battle with life-threatening disease that left her in intensive
Madonna has confirmed that she suffered from a life-threatening disease that left her in intensive care for four days.
The Queen of Pop, 67, was rushed to hospital with a bacterial infection in mid-2023 and her world tour was paused.
She took to her social media at the time to tell fans she was on the road to recovery and had been released from hospital.
Now two years on, in her first podcast appearance, Madonna has revealed came down with an infection which turned into sepsis and she spent four days in intensive care on a ventilator.
Speaking on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast, Madonna said: ‘I was rehearsing for a tour, and I got a bacterial infection.
‘One minute I was alive and dancing around, and the next minute I was in the ICU, unconscious for four days. I got out of hospital, they took me off the ventilator, I started to breathe on my own, and I had something called sepsis, and it can kill you.
Madonna has confirmed that she suffered from a life-threatening disease that left her in intensive care for four days (Seen in February 2023)
Now two years on, in her first podcast appearance, Madonna has revealed came down with an infection which turned into sepsis and she spent four days in intensive care on a ventilator
‘Everybody recovers at a different rate, and I’ve always seen myself as Superwoman.
‘So I was like “Oh I’m going to kick this. I’m going to be good, I’m getting back into rehearsal” but I had no strength, no energy, couldn’t get out of bed, and I didn’t know when it was gonna end.’
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused when the body releases chemicals to fight an infection.
These chemicals damage the body’s own tissues and organs and can lead to shock, organ failure and death.
Organ failure and death are more likely if sepsis is not recognised early and treated immediately.
Madonna said back in 2023 she was on the road to recovery and said she planned to reschedule her Celebration Tour for later in the year year.
She wrote at the time: ‘Thank you for your positive energy. Prayers and words of healing and encouragement. I have felt your love.
‘I’m on the road to recovery and incredibly grateful for all the blessings.
The Queen of Pop, 67, was rushed to hospital with a bacterial infection in mid-2023 and her world tour was paused
Speaking on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast, Madonna said: ‘I was rehearsing for a tour, and I got a bacterial infection
‘One minute I was alive and dancing around, and the next minute I was in the ICU, unconscious for four days,’ she said
‘My first thought when I woke up in the hospital was my children. My second thought was that I did not want to disappoint anyone who bought tickets for my tour.
‘I also didn’t want to let down the people who worked tirelessly with me over the last few months to create my show. I hate to disappoint anyone.
‘My focus now is my health and getting stronger and I assure you I’ll be back with you as soon as I can
‘My current plan is to reschedule the North American leg of the tour and to begin in October in Europe.
‘I couldn’t be more grateful for your care and support. Love, M.’
Madonna was given an injection of the drug Narcan – commonly used to reverse suspected drug overdoses – to combat acute septic shock before she was rushed on to hospital, reported Radar Online.
The singer was left bedridden as she remained ‘weak and very tired’ following the ordeal, before eventually making a full recovery.
Elsewhere in the recent podcast, Madonna spoke candidly about the spiritual practices that have guided her through decades in the spotlight.
‘You need to be spiritual to be successful. Success is having a spiritual life, period. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have one,’ she told Shetty in the revealing conversation.
The pop icon explained that her journey began in the mid-1990s, shortly before welcoming her first child, Lourdes Leon, and that her discovery of Kabbalah in 1996 became a turning point in her life.
‘What have I done for others? That’s really the only way you can be successful in life,’ she said, stressing that her purpose has always been to ‘reveal light in the world’ through her work.
‘I want it all, but I want it for the sake of sharing, not to keep it for myself,’ the seven-time Grammy winner stressed.
In an Instagram post in 2023, Madonna wrote: ‘Thank you for your positive energy. Prayers and words of healing and encouragement. I have felt your love’
In the wide-ranging interview, the mother-of-six emphasized how spirituality sustains her not during moments of triumph, but in times of hardship.
‘Spiritual wisdom is not helpful when everything’s going your way. It’s helpful when you’re challenged and when you’re happy,’ she explained.
She continued: ‘It’s helpful to remember that at any given time, in any moment, it could be gone. So don’t take it for granted. Have humility.
‘Radical acceptance is just accepting that what is happening to you is meant to happen to you — and that you’re going to be okay.’
SIX MAJOR SIGNS OF SEPSIS
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused when the body releases chemicals to fight an infection.
These chemicals damage the body’s own tissues and organs and can lead to shock, organ failure and death.
Organ failure and death are more likely if sepsis is not recognized early and treated immediately.
Sepsis infects an estimated 55,000 Australians each year, killing between 5,000 and 9,000 making it more than four times deadlier than the road toll.
The symptoms can look like gastro or flu and can become deadly, rapidly.
The six major signs of something potentially deadly can be identified by the acronym ‘SEPSIS’:
- Slurred speech or confusion, lethargy, disorientation
- Extreme shivering or muscle pain, fever or low temperature
- Pressing a rash doesn’t make it fade
- Severe breathlessness, rapid breathing
- Inability to pass urine for several hours
- Skin that’s mottled or discoloured
Children may also show convulsions or fits, and a rash that doesn’t fade when you press it – and more than 40 per cent of cases occur in children under five.
Anyone who develops these symptoms should seek medical help urgently — and ask doctors: ‘Could this be sepsis?’
Sepsis is a leading cause of avoidable death killing about 10,000 Australians each year
The early symptoms of sepsis can be easily confused with more mild conditions, making it difficult to diagnose.
A high temperature (fever), chills and shivering, a fast heartbeat and rapid breathing are also indicators.
A patient can rapidly deteriorate if sepsis is missed early on, so quick diagnosis and treatment is vital – yet this rarely happens.
In the early stages, sepsis can be mistaken for a chest infection, flu or upset stomach.
It is most common and dangerous in older adults, pregnant women, children younger than one, people with chronic conditions or those who have weakened immune systems.