Madonna made a striking appearance at the 2025 Met Gala, themed “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on May 5, 2025. The Queen of Soul took the opportunity to tell her personal story about a scary health emergency. It was just over two years ago that she fought a serious illness that forced her hospitalization.
In June 2023, Madonna faced a significant health scare when she contracted sepsis, a life-threatening response to infection. Surrounded by art and culture as she created and rehearsed for her tour, the effects of having breast cancer were deeply impactful. It took her about five days in the ICU before waking up. Today, she calls that experience equally terrifying and life-changing.
The Impact of Sepsis
Sepsis is an emergent and life-threatening condition that affects up to 1.7 million adults in the United States each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that approximately 350,000 adults are diagnosed with sepsis annually. Shockingly, most of them either perish in the hospital or are transferred to hospice care. Madonna shared her own struggle with this condition while on a recent episode of Jay Shetty’s “On Purpose” podcast.
“I was rehearsing for my tour and I got a bacterial infection,” Madonna said. At first, she thought she would breeze through sepsis recovery. Soon the terminal illness began to have a devastating impact on her health, crushing Molly’s hope.
“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.” – Madonna
This journey not only pushed her body physically but was an incredible emotional journey as well.
Leaning on Faith
During her recovery, Madonna found solace in her faith—specifically, in Kabbalah, a mystical branch of Judaism. She read that spiritual practice empowered her in the midst of her illness’ unpredictable journey. During the podcast conversation, she shared an insightful lesson from her Kabbalah teacher:
“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.” – Madonna’s Kabbalah teacher.
Madonna resonated with this perspective, stating, “That made so much sense to me. And of course, it did.” This mindset and strategy served her well as she battled through sepsis.
Recovery Journey
Madonna’s path to recovery was not immediate. After 24 hours of hospitalizations, she remembered when she knew something was seriously wrong.
“I got out of the hospital. They took me off the ventilator. I started to breathe on my own, and I had something, it’s called sepsis, and it can kill you.” – Madonna
At 67, Madonna is the very definition of a life lived well. She challenges us to understand how precarious health is, even for those who typically consider themselves invulnerable.
“I’ve been looking at myself as superwoman,” she told ABC News, reflecting on her resolve to get back into rehearsals after that harrowing experience. Ultimately, Madonna’s story underscores the importance of awareness regarding sepsis and the vital role faith can play in overcoming life’s challenges.
