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As the Queen of Pop, Madonna’s iconic music career has spanned decades. The “Like a Virgin” star is famous for her bold (and sometimes controversial) artistic messages, but once she became a mom, she decided to make one major change.
Mary Gabriel dishes on many of the pop icon’s secrets in her new biography, Madonna: A Rebel Life, ranging from Madonna’s experiences growing up in Michigan to her pop career to her life as a mom of six kids. One part explains why Madonna decided to censor herself for the first time, per PEOPLE.
In the early 2000s when daughter Lourdes, now 26, and son Rocco, now 23, were just kids, Madonna wrote an “angsty, political song” called “American Life.” She also filmed a controversial music video filled with images of war and commentary on its cultural effects, which was released after former President George W. Bush called for an invasion of Iraq in March 2003. (Yikes!) It sparked major backlash, so Madonna decided to change course in order to protect her kids.
PEOPLE reported that Madonna withdrew her music video just one day after it was released, “marking the first time she’d ever censored herself, despite previously refusing to do so on several other occasions.” As a mother, she didn’t want Lourdes and Rocco to “face the brunt of her controversies.” So, she filmed a new, more peaceful music video for the song, which featured her singing in front of various nations’ flags.
Can you blame her? She made a bold, seemingly insensitive political statement at a time when the country was reeling from the 9/11 terrorist attack, and people were very upset about it. It’s no wonder she wanted to protect her little ones from the backlash.
In addition to Lourdes and Rocco, Madonna is also mom to David, 18, Mercy, 17, and twins Stella and Estere, 11. She shared a rare glimpse into her parenting style in March 2023, when she posted a photo to her Instagram Story holding a “House Rules” sign. These rules? “1. Smile, 2. Be Happy, 3. Listen to others, 4. Speak Kindness, 5. Be Happy with what you have.” Yup, that checks out for the free-spirited singer!
On Mother’s Day, she shared an intimate look into her feelings about motherhood, sharing that she felt both “grounded” and “dazed and confused” as a mother.
“I walked through many years half blind and made many mistakes along the way,” she wrote in part on Instagram. “Because every mother knows there are no manuals or rule books to follow. You just have to dive in and figure it out. I have experienced my highest highs and my lowest lows as a mother. No one could have prepared me.”
She added, “To say that I am proud of of my children sounds arrogant or implies ownership. Better to say that they are all shining stars and I’m happy that their souls chose me to be their mother.”
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