Madonna reveals she spent four days unconscious in ICU after falling ill during tour rehearsal

Pop icon Madonna has opened up about her near-death experience in 2023, revealing that she spent four days unconscious in an intensive care unit after contracting a severe bacterial infection during rehearsals for her ‘Celebration’ tour.

The 67-year-old singer detailed the frightening episode in a recent interview.

Her life-threatening health scare

During her appearance on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast, Madonna shared that her health deteriorated suddenly while she was preparing for her world tour. “One minute, I was alive and dancing around, and the next minute, I was in the [intensive care] unit of a hospital, and I woke up from being unconscious for four days,” she said.The Like a Prayer singer revealed that doctors placed her on a ventilator as her condition worsened.

After being discharged from the hospital, she developed sepsis — a life-threatening complication caused by the body’s extreme reaction to an infection. “It can kill you,” Madonna stated.Medical experts describe sepsis as a severe and potentially fatal condition in which the body’s immune system overreacts to an infection, leading to widespread inflammation and organ failure if not treated quickly.

Her struggle toward recovery

Madonna said the illness left her physically weakened and emotionally shaken.

“I had no strength,” she explained. “I had no energy.” The singer, often known for her resilience and high-energy performances, admitted she was shocked by her sudden loss of vitality. Referring to herself as a “superwoman,” she said the experience forced her to confront her own vulnerability.During her recovery, Madonna relied heavily on meditation, spiritual guidance, and patience to heal. “I used to talk to my teacher all the time, and he was like, ‘The sooner you accept what’s happening to you and that you don’t know when it’s going to end, the sooner it’s going to end,’” she shared.

“That made so much sense to me. And of course, it did.”

Return to the stage

Following months of rehabilitation, Madonna eventually resumed her Celebration tour, which commemorates four decades of her musical career. Her revelation sheds light on how close the singer came to tragedy — a reminder of the fragility that lies beneath her enduring strength and global stardom.