In a rare interview, Madonna opened up about her spirituality and views on forgiveness, discussing her family and her mother who passed away.
Typically, Madonna refrains from interviews unless she is promoting a tour or album. However, she recently chose to share a different side of her life.
On the Jay Shetty Podcast, Madonna talked about her initial struggle to forgive her brother, Christopher Ciccone.
She reflected on her challenges with holding grudges and the personal growth required to mend their relationship.
She stated: “I’m a fighter, if somebody messes with me, they are going to get it. There are things that have happened to me in my life where I just think I will never forgive this person.
“Now I just don’t want to have those feelings anymore because it is a prison and it is poison to not be able to forgive and to live in a state of holding a grudge or hating someone or wanting them to suffer.”
Madonna did not delve into the specifics of her conflict with Christopher, who passed away at 63 in 2024, but she shared that they had a significant disagreement.
Before his passing, she was able to forgive him following a ‘spiritual’ experience with her late mother during a coma.
Recalling her coma in 2023 due to a bacterial infection, she mentioned that her mother communicated with her.
“When I woke up in the hospital that word forgiveness came to my mind,” the ‘Material Girl’ singer explained.
“I have to forgive people because I was there, I was almost on the other side, and I had a conscious moment, and my mother appeared to me and she said ‘do you want to come with me?’
“And I said ‘no’. My assistant was in the room with me, but I was still unconscious, but she heard me say no.
“Then when I did eventually wake up, I realized that the no was about me needing to forgive and make good with people I still held grudges against.”
Madonna shared that she composed a song about her brother and mentioned another song focusing on the necessity of self-forgiveness when forgiving others seems impossible.