Madonna is facing criticism after a comment she made about Lil Nas X’s BET Awards performance.
Posting on her Instagram story in the early hours of Wednesday, Madonna posted side-by-side pictures of herself kissing Britney Spears at the VMAs in 2003, along with a photo of the Old Town Road singer kissing a back-up dancer on stage.
Underneath the two images, she added the hashtag: “#DidItFirst”
Madonna reacts to Lil Nas X's #BETAwards kiss:
"#DidItFirst" pic.twitter.com/21thPlirCs
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) June 30, 2021
As screenshots of the post began doing the rounds on social media, many fans voiced their disappointment that Madonna chose to centre herself in Lil Nas X’s moment:
Not Madonna thinking she did something with this comment… you had your moment let a queer black man have his moment!!! https://t.co/QTahm8JQPa
— Luis Nava (@Pinosaur13) June 30, 2021
Not mad at the mirrored images themselves, but I guess it'd never occur to her or her team to have some grace and go for a "love to see the next generations living out loud" or something, since he is a gay man kissing a man vs. her w/a younger pop star in a bid to stay relevant https://t.co/Wmc9hyaMum
— @PiaGlenn (@PiaGlenn) June 30, 2021
prob just me. madonna's post comes across as petty toward a young, black, queer man
— tosca tweets world (@catatonichic) June 30, 2021
For a woman whose career was built on the backs of queer people of color to shoot down the social, cultural, and artistic progress of a Black gay man in an industry that has historically dismissed queer people of color is abhorrent. 🖕🏻, @Madonna.
— Aaron Simon (@AarSim) June 30, 2021
Jsjkjks Madonna being Madonna pic.twitter.com/jtJvf82fmv
— ً (@your_sugaboo) June 30, 2021
madonna running to make every queer celebrity's moment about herself https://t.co/R6MxwkmFjCpic.twitter.com/mBndTfKlkp
— tyler ³³³ (@nashequenched) June 30, 2021
Madonna saying “I did it first” in response to Lil Nas X’s performance shows just how out of touch some of these ally’s are with the movement.
— jr 🇲🇽 (@jayjuniorrrr) June 30, 2021
Imagine being this big ally(?) To the community and when you see one of us do well you decide to centre yourself.
If that's not an apt metaphor for ALLYSHIP— Sundi (@JohMyWord) June 30, 2021
She makes it so hard to root for her out loud my god https://t.co/sI31LfhQg2
— Z (@kxngofsorrow) June 30, 2021
“did it first” lmao @Madonna did you also do voguing first or was that just one of the other things you just decided to appropriate off of black culture?
— while you were out – em/manny (@malakaiparker02) June 30, 2021
Madonna posting that she “did it first” in response to Lil Nas X’s historic gay kiss at the BET Awards is so disappointing and honestly offensive.
— a u s t i n (@AustinRiva) June 30, 2021
Why is Madonna like this? It is so unnecessary pic.twitter.com/N5RpSpShLK
— will (@This_Is_Will_) June 30, 2021
Others also voiced their disappointment at Madonna posting a picture of herself and Britney when she’s yet to voice her support for the Piece Of Me singer after her shocking testimony last week about the conservatorship she’s been under for more than a decade:
I love Madonna but it's disappointing that she was bothered enough to post this but not bothered enough to speak up for Britney. #FreeBritneyhttps://t.co/fVKI5MGl2y
— 🕊FreeBritney UK (@prideofbritney) June 30, 2021
Madonna could post herself kissing Britney but not free Britney
— alex (@CRUNKWBRlTNEY) June 30, 2021
Shell bring Britney up to overshadow a queer poc artist but not bring Britney up for her court hearing last week pic.twitter.com/GJ0fPzH9da
— Ma-mood 🇪🇬 (@Masc4FemFatale) June 30, 2021
not her using that Britney pic but it’s crickets when it comes to her trial
— ﹌ (@cyphariana) June 30, 2021
Madonna dragging Britney into stuff to get dragged but she can’t say #FreeBritney? pic.twitter.com/xUucAxH1W4
— Fan Account (@breatheonmiley) June 30, 2021
Lil Nas X brought the house down at the BET Awards on Sunday night, where he gave his chart-topping hit Montero (Call Me By Your Name) its most elaborate (and steamy) performance to date.
The routine ended with a kiss between the star and his back-up dancer, with celebrities in the audience, including Pose star Mj Rodriguez and actor Lena Waithe, breaking out into rapturous applause.
Afterwards, Diddy also sent Lil Nas a message of support on Twitter, writing: “Lil Nas X did that!! Be fearless!!!”
The performance has won widespread praise online, and while a few conservative trolls have also been voicing their negative opinions, Lil Nas X has been shrugging them off in his usual effortless way.
