Madonna defended after ‘ageist’ trolls incorrectly mock singer for using support beam

Madonna is being defended from “ageist” trolls after a video showing the singer performing, while holding a beam for support, surfaced online

Earlier this week, a clip from the “Like a Prayer” singer’s Celebration tour was shared on TikTok, showing the star, 65, dancing energetically while holding a pole positioned behind her.

Many trolls then proceeded to incorrectly conflate Madonna’s decision to hold the rail for support with her age, and sent her messages of vitriol online.

“I’m glad to see that Madonna has a grab bar so she doesn’t fall,” one person wrote, with another adding: “65-year-old Madonna has to use a bar to dance on stage to prop herself up as she performs a dance routine.”

However, it has since been revealed that, during this particular segment of the show, Madonna is dancing while standing on a moving platform, meaning she is holding the pole for her safety.

“Dumb a**es got jokes, but failed to mention the fact that she’s dancing on a MOVING PLATFORM,” one social media user pointed out, with another stating: “A lot of ageist s*** about Madonna today saying she needed a grab rail for dancing in her latest show.

“She is on a thin platform that is moving across the top of the audience! Of course there’s a bar! She’s also clipped onto it!

Madonna has been performing across Europe since October, thrilling fans with a glittering retrospective of her six-decade-spanning career.

On Wednesday (6 December), Madonna, 65, gave her final show at London’s O2 Arena, the same place it began nearly three months prior.

For the “Vogue” segment of the concert, the “Hung Up” singer is usually joined by a celebrity guest who helps her judge dancers and models as they make their way down the runway towards them.

Madonna is being defended from vitriol online (Getty Images for MTV/ViacomCBS)

Madonna’s guest haves included fashion designers Stella McCartney, Donatella Versace and Jean Paul Gaultie as well as musician FKA twigs and DJ Diplo.

In The Independent’s five-star review of Madonna’s tour, Helen Brown said the show “reminded us why the Queen of Pop still reigns”.

The Celebration Tour will conclude on 26 April 2024 in Mexico City.

From news to politics, travel to sport, culture to climate – The Independent has a host of free newsletters to suit your interests. To find the stories you want to read, and more, in your inbox, click here.