- Madonna recalled her infamous 1984 VMAs wardrobe malfunction.
- The singer’s manager said her career was over.
- Madonna won three awards at the 2026 VM
Madonna has revisited one of the most talked-about moments of her career. The pop star revealed that her infamous 1984 MTV Video Music Awards performance once left her manager convinced that her career was finished.
Madonna brought up the story while accepting the Artist of the Year award at the 2026 VMAs, where she was also the ceremony's most nominated artist with 13 nods. Madonna won three awards during the event, including Best Collaboration for Bring Your Love, featuring Sabrina Carpenter.
The singer took fans back to the very first edition of the VMAs in 1984, when she performed her hit Like A Virgin. What was meant to be a stage performance soon turned into an unexpected moment that became part of MTV history.
During the performance, one of Madonna's stilettos came off. As she tried to recover the shoe while continuing with the performance, her dress moved up, accidentally exposing her undergarments and backside.
Looking back at the incident more than four decades later, Madonna said she had no idea just how badly her manager had reacted.
“I had a little problem with my shoes, and one of my stilettos fell off, and I dove onto the stage to try to make myself look cute and sexy, and my dress went up, and my butt cheek was hanging out, and in those days, butt cheeks were not hanging out,” Madonna recalled.
“I went backstage feeling really proud of myself, and my manager told me that my career was over,” she added.
The audience applauded as Madonna shared the story. She then ended her speech with a message for the fans who have stayed with her through the years.
“I love you so much. Thank you for being my ride or die,” the pop star said.
The 1984 performance was far from Madonna's last headline-making VMAs appearance. Years later, she once again became the centre of attention after sharing an onstage kiss with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera during a medley of Like a Virgin and Hollywood.
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