Madonna revealed that she saw her late mother "on the other side" while she was in a medically induced coma in 2023.
In a conversation on the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast on Monday, the Queen of Pop explained that she was treated in intensive care and remained in a coma for two days after doctors discovered a "serious bacterial infection" that developed after a mild fever.
Thinking back to the health scare, Madonna shared that she experienced a vision of her mother, also named Madonna Ciccone, who lost her life to breast cancer in December 1963.
"I was almost there on the other side, and I had a conscious moment," she said. "My mother appeared to me, and she said, 'Do you want to come with me?' And I said, 'No.'"
She added that her assistant was present in the room and heard her say the word, "No."
"And then, when I did eventually wake up, I realised that the 'no' was about me needing to forgive and make good with people that I still held grudges against," the 67-year-old explained.
One of the long-standing conflicts she chose to release was her troubled relationship with her brother Christopher Ciccone.
The artist passed away from pancreatic cancer at 63 in October 2024.
"For my brother, I didn't speak to him for, you know, for years, years, and years. And it was him being ill (and) reaching out to me and saying, 'I need your help.' And me having that moment like, 'Am I going to help my enemy?' You know, that's how it felt. And I just did," the Ray of Light singer said. "And I ended up (helping) and I felt so relieved. And it was such a load off my back, such a weight that was removed, baggage that I could put down to finally be able to be in a room with him and holding his hand, even if he was dying and saying, 'I love you and I forgive you.' That was really important."
Biffy Clyro have struck the right chord once more, with the Scottish rock icons celebrating their fourth Official Number 1 Album thanks to Futique (1).
Sharing their excitement about the achievement, Simon Neil, James Johnston and Ben Johnston said:
“Four Official UK Number 1 albums – a Futique moment in real time. Thank you to everyone who has supported us and listened to the album. We appreciate it!”
The group also take the top spot on both the Official Record Store Chart and the Official Vinyl Albums Chart, with Futique becoming the best-selling record of the week across independent shops in the UK and moving the most vinyl copies overall.
With their bold energy shining through, Biffy are proudly raising the Saltire across the UK charts this week.
The unstoppable rise of Biffy Clyro has left Sabrina Carpenter in second place, as Man’s Best Friend lands just behind them (2).
In third position comes Lola Young, whose unapologetic new record I’m Only F**king Myself (3) secures her highest chart placing yet, beating the performance of her earlier release This Wasn’t Meant For You Anyway which peaked at 16.
Congratulations are also in order for The Divine Comedy, who have scored their best result in 26 years. Their album Rainy Sunday Afternoon (4) enters the Top 10, the highest since A Secret History... the Best of the Divine Comedy.
Frontman Neil Hannon accepted the Official Top 10 Award from Official Charts with delight, saying: “I’m hyperventilating! The Divine Comedy have another Official Top 10 album! It’s extremely gratifying, it never gets any less exciting.”
The band from Northern Ireland celebrate their sixth Top 10 record this week and also take the lead on the Official Independent Albums Chart, making it a standout moment for them.
Long-awaited recognition has also arrived for Buckingham Nicks. More than five decades after its first release, the self-titled record has finally reached the Top 10, giving Fleetwood Mac duo Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks a fresh chart milestone (6).
US legends Nine Inch Nails climb back into the Top 20 with the Tron: Ares soundtrack (12), marking the highest-charting release from the Tron series so far.
Joy Crookes secures another Top 20 finish with her bold and diverse album Juniper (13). Featuring collaborations with Kano and Vince Staples, the project shows some of her most adventurous sounds yet.
After filling London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with sold-out crowds last week, Post Malone’s The Diamond Collection shoots up eleven places (19).
British DJ Sammy Virji celebrates his first chart entry as Same Day Cleaning makes its debut appearance (21).
Cardi B’s second studio release AM I THE DRAMA? joins the Top 40 this week, adding another achievement to her chart history (26).
Newton Faulkner claims his sixth Top 40 album with the release of Octopus (27).
Lady Gaga’s debut The Fame returns to the Top 40 ahead of her sold-out UK shows for The Mayhem Ball, climbing fourteen places in the process (36).
And to close the week, Lewis Capaldi’s Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent re-enters the Top 40, moving up six spots (40). This comes as he continues his UK tour before heading to Australia, following the release of his latest single Something In The Heavens.
