Madonna has shared her experiences of sexual misconduct in the music industry, revealing that in the early years of her career, she was repeatedly propositioned by those in power.
The pop singer recently sat down with The Guardian to talk about her new album Madame X, when the subject of the Me Too movement came up.
Admitting the music industry is also rife with “unacceptable” conduct, she explained: “It’s all the same – there are people abusing their power everywhere, in all areas of life, not just film and not just music.
“A musical artist is allowed to speak in a more personal way and be themselves and talk about issues in a way that say, an actor is not; they don’t have a voice, the voice and the opinions belong to the director or the studios. And if you’re a movie star and you want a part in a movie, there are a lot of people, mostly men, who are willing to exploit and abuse that power to degrade women. And they’re untouchable.”
She continued: “I can’t tell you how many men said: ‘OK, well, if you give me a blow job’, or: ‘OK, if you sleep with me’. Sex is the trade, you know?
“I feel like maybe there isn’t a movement so much because we’re already used to expressing ourselves in a way, or fighting for things, although I do wish there were more women in the music business that were more political and more outspoken about all things in life, not just … the inequality of the sexes.”
In another recent interview, Madonna claimed film mogul Harvey Weinstein had “crossed boundaries” when they worked together on her documentary In Bed With Madonna.
She addressed Weinstein once again during her Guardian interview, saying: “Harvey Weinstein was untouchable. His reputation was universal – everybody knew he was, you know, the guy that he was. I’m not into name-calling, but it was like: ‘Oh, that’s Harvey, that’s what he does.’ It just became accepted.
“And I suppose that’s the scary thing about it. Because if people do things enough, no matter how heinous and awful and unacceptable it is, people accept it. And that certainly exists in the music industry, too.”
When Madonna first spoke about Weinstein, he quickly issued a bizarre public response, which referenced several of her songs, in which he suggested she was only using her name to generate publicity for herself.
He told BBC News: “Madonna is such a maverick it is surprising that she conformed to what’s in Vogue. This new narrative was not the nature of my relationship with her, and I will not Justify My terrific feelings for her. It was significant, Material and fun.
“She was that Ray of Light whom I will always Cherish. Anyone who knew her well back in those days, appreciates that she knew how to Express herself, she was fun, flirtatious and genuinely engaging, but if getting on this bandwagon helps her sell records, Turn Up the Radio.”
Madonna’s new album Madame X is out now.