Superstar Madonna has revealed she was left fighting for her life after contracting a bacterial infection that spiralled into sepsis and put her in intensive care for four days. The Queen of Pop, 67, was rushed to hospital in mid-2023 while preparing for her Celebration world tour, forcing her to pause the highly-anticipated shows. Fans were told at the time she was recovering, but the full scale of her ordeal has now emerged.

Speaking on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast, Madonna admitted: “I was rehearsing for a tour, and I got a bacterial infection. One minute I was alive and dancing around, and the next minute I was in the ICU, unconscious for four days. I got out of hospital, they took me off the ventilator, I started to breathe on my own, and I had something called Sepsis, and it can kill you.” The singer said her recovery was far from straightforward: “Everybody recovers at a different rate, and I’ve always seen myself as Superwoman.

"So I was like ‘Oh I’m going to kick this. I’m going to be good, I’m getting back into rehearsal’ but I had no strength, no energy, couldn’t get out of bed, and I didn’t know when it was gonna end.”

Sepsis, which occurs when the body releases chemicals to fight infection, can cause organ failure and is often fatal if not treated quickly.

According to reports at the time, Madonna was given an emergency injection of Narcan — more commonly used to reverse opioid overdoses — to combat septic shock before being rushed into hospital.

Her recovery left her bedridden and weak for weeks, though she eventually pulled through.

Back in 2023, she thanked fans for their support, saying: “Thank you for your positive energy. Prayers and words of healing and encouragement. I have felt your love. I’m on the road to recovery and incredibly grateful for all the blessings.”

She added: “My first thought when I woke up in the hospital was my children. My second thought was that I did not want to disappoint anyone who bought tickets for my tour.

"I also didn’t want to let down the people who worked tirelessly with me over the last few months to create my show. I hate to disappoint anyone.”

Determined to keep her promise, she later confirmed plans to reschedule the Celebration Tour, beginning in Europe that October. “My focus now is my health and getting stronger and I assure you I’ll be back with you as soon as I can,” she told fans.

Reflecting on how she keeps perspective, she said: “Spiritual wisdom is not helpful when everything’s going your way. It’s helpful when you’re challenged and when you’re happy.

"Radical acceptance is just accepting that what is happening to you is meant to happen to you — and that you’re going to be okay.”