At 65, Madonna Had Fans Fawning Over Her New Look After Recovering From Medically-Induced Coma

Jan 17, 2024 by apost team

Madonna is certainly no stranger to controversy. Over her four-decade-long career, the pop star has weathered a multitude of criticism, disdain, condemnation and disparagement from the media over everything from her fashion style and her dance moves to her behavior on talk shows. Despite the flak, the “Material Girl” always seemed to come out the other side swinging. 

Pop icon Madonna has long defied the odds and broken boundaries throughout her career. She is not only a talented singer but also an all-around performer, entertainer, actress, and pop culture icon. Madonna has given us plenty of hits, defining the course of pop music and ultimately earning her the moniker the “Queen of Pop.”

The legend was born Madonna Louise Ciccone on Aug. 16, 1958. Originally from Michigan, the aspiring star moved to New York City in the late 1970s to pursue a career in dance before finally finding success as a solo singer. The ’80s were peppered with a plethora of No. 1 hits from the diva, including “Papa Don’t Preach,” “Like a Prayer” and “Vogue.” Her enduring popularity was bolstered by even more successful songs down the road. She saw a resurgence in the late ’90s with hits such as “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina,” “Ray of Light,” “Frozen,” “Music” and the duet with pop princess Britney Spears, “Me Against The Music.”

Besides serving rocking tunes, the icon has also been serving great looks. Known for her eclectic taste in fashion and penchant for reinvention, Madonna has pushed the envelope throughout the years. As she aged throughout the years, Madonna received polarizing reactions about her appearance. While some were brutal, some still celebrated the music icon’s beauty.

On Feb. 5, 2023, Madonna appeared on stage at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles to introduce Sam Smith and Kim Petras before their performance of “Unholy,” which went on to win the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance award later that night. In her introduction, Madonna referenced her own divisive legacy.

“If they call you shocking, scandalous, problematic, provocative or dangerous, you are definitely onto something,” she said. She added:

“I am here to give thanks to all the rebels out here forging a new path and taking the heat for all of it. You guys need to know – all you trouble makers out there – you need to know that your fearlessness does not go unnoticed. You are seen. You are heard and most of all, you are appreciated.”

As usual, Madonna skipped the typical ball gown and opted for an almost all-black affair. She wore a tailored blazer over a crisp white shirt and tie, and paired it with a long, black skirt with a high slit. She also wore fishnet gloves adorned with stacks of silver rings. Her hair was fashioned into four braids – two smaller ones hanging down the sides of her face and two bigger braids pinned up into circles on the side of her head. She kept her make-up relatively understated with thick lashes, matte lipstick and eyebrows dyed blonde.

However, it wasn’t her fashion and make-up choices that stole the spotlight that night. Instead, fans quickly took to social media to decry just how unrecognizable the “Holiday” singer’s face looked – with not a wrinkle in sight and puffed-up cheeks. Many slammed the pop star for what they speculated was her overzealous attempt to look young through cosmetic procedures that resulted in the unwelcome transformation.

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On social media, viewers spared no sympathy for Madonna. Some likened her new look to a puppet from a horror movie, while others called her out for not aging naturally.

“What is happening to Madonna,” one post read alongside a photo of Madonna next to a picture of the Jigsaw puppet from the “Saw” movies.

Another viewer posted, “Letting yourself age gracefully is far more beautiful than plastic surgery,” above a photo comparison of then-64-year-old Madonna next to her own mother of the same age.

“I really wish Madonna never touched her face. There really was no reason. She was going to age beautifully. She’s always been beautiful,” another person commented.

On Instagram, Madonna uploaded a clip of herself in her Grammys outfit holding a horse-riding whip. However, her followers were not any kinder to her in the comments.

“She has changed in a bad way. She has fallen in on herself and I no longer recognize her as a force. She seems like she needs loved ones to intervene and help her… I used to adore Madonna, but she failed herself and her fans, she’s become a person who followed the trends set by losers. She should have aged with dignity, but chose to try and prove something she didn’t need to prove,” one follower wrote. 

Many, in a similar vein, censured her for following today’s extreme beauty standards, while others called out the environment itself for creating such pressure on women to conform to them.

“I don’t hate Madonna for doing this to herself. I hate that we live in a society where she thinks she has to do this to herself,” a more sympathetic comment read.

On Oct. 5, 2023, Perez Hilton posted a screenshot of Madonna taken from a TikTok that left fans concerned about her appearance, specifically the size of her lips. While some accused Hilton of “encouraging bullying,” others expressed their worry over Madonna’s appearance.

“Not the lips, 😔 this is something that makes me ask why people to that to their lips, they don’t look nice, they don’t even look kissable, she was so beautiful,” one person commented. Another person said, “She was such a beautiful woman before all that surgery.” Another added, “People need to stop injecting their faces.”

At one point, people’s comments about Madonna shifted when she posed in a handful of vacation photos. 

On Nov. 16, 2023, Madonna posted a carousel of photos to show her looks when she was on vacation in Paris, France. The first photo shows Madonna’s close-up selfie, with her mouth half-opened while she rocks and New York Yankees bling. Other photos include her standing in an old-century gothic alley, in a huge library, eating macarons, and posing in bed with her rather futuristic get-up. 

Brutal comments about her appearance have toned down, and more positive thoughts poured in for the singer, who had been hospitalized and was placed in an induced coma due to bacterial infection in June 2023. Fans, including some of her celebrity friends, have expressed their support for the now-recovered star. 

“How is this woman sixty five years old? Please share your secrets with us and your filter. QUEEN 👸👑,” a fan commented. 

“THE most famous woman ever in front of a lens. Still the most exotic, most beguiling thing I’ve ever seen ❤️🔥,” someone echoed. 

“The most beautiful- my amazing friend, M! 💜💜💜💜,” renowned fashion icon Donatella Versace wrote. 

What are your thoughts on Madonna’s appearance? Do you agree with her fans and her friends that she’s beautiful? Let us know, and don’t forget to pass this along to friends and family to get their take on it, too.