Madonna’s unusual moment at the MTV Video Music Awards reportedly left people backstage more worried than amused.
The singer, 68, appeared uncertain while accepting the Best Dance award, saying she was “unclear” what it was for.
But a report from Rob Shutter claimed the concern went beyond that brief onstage moment, with unnamed sources describing her as disoriented and unsteady backstage.
“She seemed out of it — confused, unsure and at moments like she didn’t quite know where she was,” a backstage source told the outlet.
“This wasn’t Madonna being difficult or eccentric. People were worried.”
The report also claims the show’s schedule disruption may have unsettled the singer. After a football game ran long, Madonna reportedly had to wait beyond her planned 7:30 p.m. performance time.
“That 15-minute delay completely threw her,” an insider alleged. “She was ready and then suddenly furious. After that, everything seemed to unravel.”
Sources further claimed her team limited backstage access because they were concerned about her condition.
One alleged witness said she looked “flushed and fuzzy” and was “wobbling back and forth to her seat in the audience to accept awards.”
Despite the reported concerns, Madonna collected seven awards during the ceremony.
The outlet’s sources said the wins did little to ease their worries, with one adding: “Something seemed wrong. People who care about her are concerned.”
The claims are based on unnamed sources, and Madonna’s representatives have not provided a response in the supplied report.
Her onstage comments alone do not establish whether anything was medically wrong.
