Madonna: I was held at knifepoint and raped
Singer said she was assaulted and her home was broken into after moving to New York City in the 1970s
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Chart topping singer Madonna has revealed she was held up at knife point and raped after moving to New York City.
In a first-person essay penned for Harper's Bazaar magazine, the pop star spoke of her traumatic ordeal when she had moved to New York from Michigan, aged 20.
“New York wasn't everything I thought it would be. It did not welcome me with open arms”, she wrote.
“The first year, I was held up at gunpoint. Raped on the roof of a building I was dragged up to with a knife in my back, and had my apartment broken into three times. I don't know why; I had nothing of value after they took my radio the first time.”
In the magazine's Daring issue, the 55-year-old described struggling to make friends as a teenager because others found her non-conformist attitude "strange". She did "the opposite of what all the other girls were doing," which she said turned her into a "man repeller".
In order to pursue a career as a professional dancer, she paid her rent by posing as nude for art classes, where she found herself "staring at people staring at me naked. Daring them to think of me as anything but a form they were trying to capture with their pens and charcoal."
Despite feeling “scared s***less” by some parts of the city, she remained "defiant" and "hell bent on surviving“.
Madonna also opened up about her relationship with British director Guy Richie, whom she become divorced from in 2008. Moving to England to live with Richie left her feeling alienated again, she said. “It wasn't easy for me. Just because we speak the same language doesn't mean we speak the same language."
“I didn't understand that there was still a class system. I didn't understand pub culture. I didn't understand that being openly ambitious was frowned upon.”
However, Madonna said she “stuck it out” and eventually fell in love with different aspects of England.
The singer signed off her essay in the present day. She writes: “Ten years later, here I am, divorced and living in New York. I have been blessed with four amazing children.“
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments