Madonna fan in wheelchair not offended by singer's faux pas scolding her for sitting: 'She had no idea'

Oliver Gettell
·2 min read
10

Vanessa Gorman told TMZ she didn't think the Queen of Pop was being mean when she called out Gorman for not standing up during a recent concert.

The Madonna fan and wheelchair user who the singer recently called out for not standing up during a concert, and then quickly apologized to, isn't holding anything against the Queen of Pop.

In a new interview with TMZ, Vanessa Gorman said she didn't think Madonna was being mean with her remark and simply made a mistake. "Some people are in wheelchairs and can stand — she had no idea I was paralyzed," Gorman said.

Gorman, a paraplegic from a motor vehicle accident in 1999, also said she was surprised when Madonna didn't initially see that she was in a bright pink wheelchair at the time of the faux pas. In any case, she applauded the singer for apologizing immediately and on mic, and told TMZ she went on to enjoy the rest of the concert, which reportedly took place at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada, last month.

<p>Steve Sands/NewYorkNewswire/Bauer-Griffin/Shutterstock </p> Madonna

Steve Sands/NewYorkNewswire/Bauer-Griffin/Shutterstock

Madonna

Representatives for Madonna didn't immediately respond to EW's request for comment Friday.

The exchange between Madonna and Gorman made headlines when fan video from the concert surfaced on social media. In the footage, Madonna can be seen asking, "What are you doing sitting down over there?" and then walking toward a corner of the stage. As she gets closer to the crowd, she says, "Oh, okay. Politically incorrect. Sorry about that. I'm glad you're here."

Some observers on social media criticized Madonna for the gaffe, accusing her of ableist behavior, while others came to her defense.

Madonna is currently in the midst of her retrospective Celebration Tour, which kicked off last year in Europe before coming Stateside. It's slated to conclude next month in Mexico City. The tour's launch was delayed after the singer was hospitalized for a "serious bacterial infection."

Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.

Related content:

Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.