Madonna‘s sons have been seen for the first time time it emerged she was found unconscious in New York on Saturday, and rushed to the ICU where she was reportedly intubated overnight.
The 64-year-old singer’s condition was so serious that her relatives were ‘preparing for the worst,’ a family member told DailyMail.com.
On Wednesday, her manager Guy Oseary announced that she was suffering from a ‘serious bacterial infection’, and needed time to recover so was postponing her tour, due to begin in Vancouver on July 15.
That same day, Madonna’s eldest son Rocco Ritchie, 17, was seen looking tense as he stepped out in New York to run errands.
Also pictured in the area was David Banda, who appeared sombre as he headed for a stroll in the city.
Sighting: Madonna’s sons (David Banda, left, Rocco Ritchie, right) have been seen for the first time time on Wednesday after it emerged she was found unconscious in New York on Saturday
The latest: Madonna’s daughter Lourdes Leon, 26, was keeping things normal amid tough times as she posted a picture of herself to Instagram Stories on Wednesday
Madonna’s children have yet to publicly comment on their mother’s condition.
Rocco, who Madonna shares with ex-husband Guy Ritchie – was spotted carrying a large bag slung over his shoulder as he made his way to his mother’s Big Apple apartment.
Rocco also shared a series of images and videos of himself on a motorcycle tour in Transylvania, Romania, on June 26, two days after his mother’s hospitalization.
He made no mention of her health struggles, simply noting that he’d had a ‘crazy trip’ in a ‘crazy place’ and that it was ‘hopefully the beginning of many’.
Meanwhile, David, who Madonna and Guy adopted in 2006, when he was just 13 months old, kept his earphones in and sunglasses on as he stepped out.
Madonna is mother to six children: Lourdes, 26; Rocco, 22; David, 17; Mercy, 17; and 10-year-old twins Stella and Estere.
Lourdes, who Madonna shares with ex Carlos Leon, is said to have been by her mother’s bedside during her hospitalisation.
In a bid to keep things normal, the model and dancer took to Instagram on Wednesday with a shot posted to her 475,000 followers in a racy corset with jeans.
The Los Angeles native tagged the skate shoe and apparel company Vans into the post, with a kissing emoji.
The picture came as one of Madonna’s relatives told DailyMail.com they spent several traumatic days unsure if she was going to pull through.
The family member said the shocking collapse was a wake-up call for Madonna, who believes she is ‘invincible’ and has been pushing herself extremely hard to prepare for the tour.
‘For the past couple of days, no one really knew which direction this was going to turn, and her family was preparing for the worst,’ the relative said.
‘That is why it was kept a secret since Saturday. Everyone believed that we may lose her and that has been the reality of the situation.’
Health scare: Madonna had to be ‘rushed to the ICU and intubated’ on Saturday after developing a bacterial infection (pictured in a June 20 Instagram photo )
On the move: Rocco, who Madonna shares with ex-husband Guy Ritchie – was spotted carrying a large bag slung over his shoulder as he made his way to his mother’s Big Apple apartment
Social media snaps: Rocco posted a series of photos of himself on a motorcycle tour in Romania on Monday but did not comment on his mother’s condition
Low-key: David, who Madonna and Guy adopted in 2006, when he was just 13 months old, kept his earphones in and sunglasses on as he stepped out
Double act: Lourdes, who Madonna shares with ex Carlos Leon, is said to have been by her mother’s bedside during her hospitalisation
The family source told DailyMail.com that her sudden hospitalization united them.
‘All of Madonna’s family members have come together over this,’ the relative said.
And it served as a reminder to the singer that she needed to take care of herself.
‘This really woke her the f*** up. She has not been living as healthy a life as she should be for her age, and she has been wearing herself thin over the past couple of months.
‘She thinks that she is still young when, in fact, she is not. She also believes that she is invincible.’
Sources close to the singer said she has been working around the clock to ensure that her tour is perfect, with one revealing that she has been rehearsing six days a week.
Another told DailyMail.com in April that she was ‘driving everyone up the wall with her perfectionism’.
At the time the source said that Madonna was ‘in incredible shape’.
The family source said on Wednesday that discussion of her tour is banned from her bedside, because the famously hard-working singer needed to rest.
‘Everything, including this tour, is taking a backseat right now and no one is allowed to even mention anything work related around her because she will lose her s***,’ the relative added.
‘She will put her career and her fame before her health until the day she is dead.’
The pop star’s terrifying health scare was shared with the world by her manager Guy Oseary, who revealed on Instagram that Madonna has been forced to postpone her hotly-anticipated 40th anniversary tour as a result of her medical struggles.
Oseary insisted in his post that the singer and mother-of-six is ‘expected to make a full recovery’ and that her ‘health is improving’, but added that she is ‘still under medical care’.
Although Oseary did not share the specifics of Madonna’s treatment, or the conditions of her hospitalization, he confirmed that she was taken to the ICU on Saturday and that she was diagnosed with a bacterial infection.
‘On Saturday, June 24, Madonna developed a serious bacterial infection which led to a several-day stay in the ICU,’ he wrote on Wednesday afternoon.
‘Her health is improving, however she is still under medical care. A full recovery is expected.’
The longtime music manager then revealed that the singer is being forced to postpone the start of her tour, for which she has been rehearsing for months – and which was due to begin in a matter of weeks – writing: ‘At this time we will need to pause all commitments, which includes the tour.’
He did not reveal when Madonna might be well enough to commence the international tour, simply promising fans that he would ‘share more details as soon as we have them, including a new start date for the tour and for rescheduled shows’.
Speaking to DailyMail.com, a source confirmed that the popstar is now ‘out of the ICU and recovering’.
It is not known exactly what kind of infection Madonna is suffering from, however bacterial infections can affect many different parts of the body, including the skin, lungs, brain, and blood, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
‘Common bacterial diseases include UTIs, food poisoning, STIs and some skin, sinus and ear infections,’ the medical body states, noting that the most common form of treatment is a course of antibiotics.
‘There are many bacterial infections that aren’t usually serious or can be treated easily with antibiotics,’ it explains. ‘However, any bacterial infection that gets deep into your body, like in your blood, heart, lungs or brain, can be life-threatening.’
The Madonna: The Celebration Tour, was slated to run from July 15, 2023, to January 30, 2024.
It would be the singer’s 12th concert tour and will visit cities in North America and Europe anticipating 84 shows.
The singer’s last Instagram post was on June 20 – four days before her hospitalization – and featured several images of Madonna rehearsing for the tour, along with the caption: ‘The calm before the storm.’
On June 23, she also shared a post to her Instagram Stories in which she could be seen getting her roots bleached – however just one day later, she was rushed to the ICU.
Madonna has been rehearsing for her Celebration tour for months now – with tickets for the hotly-anticipated musical event quickly selling out just minutes after they went on sale.
The singer last took to the stage in London’s O2 Arena during her Rebel Heart tour in 2015, the same year she famously took a tumble during a performance at the BRIT Awards.
While Madonna performed at 75 theatre venues during her Madame X tour, she was forced to cancel several shows due to recurring hip and knee injuries.
In May 2020, the singer revealed that she was undergoing stem cell treatment in order to treat the injury, while sharing an X-ray image of her knee – which she damaged after falling on stage in late February.
At the time, Madonna described herself as a’ broken doll held together with tape and glue’ as she announced she was taking some much needed bed rest in hopes of finishing the tour.
The singer’s health and wellbeing have also been the subject of much scrutiny in recent months, with Madonna sparking concern among fans in late 2021 with a series of erratic social media posts – one of which showed her posing with someone who was holding a knife to her neck.
Then, earlier this year, Madonna came under fierce criticism over her changing appearance, with some speculating that she had undergone plastic surgery when she was seen sporting a drastically altered look at the 2023 Grammy Awards.
While Madonna was quick to slam the critical comments about her appearance – while denying any plastic surgery rumors – behind the scenes, an insider told DailyMail.com she was deeply ‘affected’ by the criticism and had started taking steps to ensure that she returned to her more natural self before hitting the stage for her first concert.
‘Despite what people think, the criticism over her drastically different appearance does affect her,’ the source revealed to DailyMail.com, adding that Madonna was undergoing procedures to restore her natural looks.
‘She sees and hears what people say about her and, for the tour, she wants to look more like herself again for her fans.’
Announcement: The 64-year-old pop icon’s manager Guy Oseary confirmed the news in an Instagram post on Wednesday, revealing that the star was still ‘under medical care’
Concern: Earlier this year, Madonna sparked concern – and plastic surgery speculation – when she was seen modeling a drastically different appearance at the 2023 Grammy Awards
Madonna first took to the road on tour around the UK in 1987, with her Who’s That Girl World Tour.
Her performances have been no stranger to controversy, having famously angered the Catholic Church in 1990 when she simulated masturbation on stage, leading Pope John Paul II to call for a boycott of her Blonde Ambition tour.
It was during that same tour that Madonna donned her now-iconic Jean Paul Gaultier conical bra during a sell-out show in Japan.
In 2006 she also infuriated the Church of England by staging a mock crucifixion during her Confessions tour in LA.
