Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Style at Large
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Statement Jackets
    • Halloween Nails
    • 'You Can See Everything'
    • London-Girl Style
    • Beauty Advent Calendars
    1. Celebrity

    Madonna and Elton John Just Ended Their Decades-Long Feud After She "Confronted" Him

    These two had A LOT to get past.

    By Lia Beck
    Published 8 April 2025 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Elton John and Madonna in black outfits performing at the Rain Forest Concert at Carnegie Hall in 1998
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    A feud between two of the biggest pop musicians of all time has finally come to an end. After being at odds for over 20 years, Madonna and Elton John are all good, and there just might be a collaboration in their future. "Miserable cow", who?

    On Monday, April 7, Madonna posted an Instagram that shows her and John posing together backstage at Saturday Night Live. In her lengthy caption, the Queen of Pop explains that she visited SNL to see John perform as the musical guest and to "confront him."

    "We Finally Buried the Hatchet!!!" Madonna begins her post. She goes on explain that she has been a fan of John's and felt influenced by him ever since she was a teenager sneaking out of her home to go see him perform in Detroit.

    Latest Videos FromMarie Claire
    Watch full video here:

    "Over the decades it hurt me to know that someone I admired so much shared his dislike of me publicly as an artist," Madonna writes. "I didn’t understand it. I was told Elton John was the musical guest on SNL and I decided to go. I needed to go backstage and confront him."

    But, when John saw Madonna, he immediately took the opportunity to apologize to her.

    You may like
    • Elton John playing the piano at Princess Diana's funeral Earl Spencer Reveals the Song Elton John Almost Performed at Diana's Funeral
    • Princess Diana is wearing a blue Catherine Walker outfit at Bayan Palace in Bayan, Kuwait, 13th March 1989 Why Diana's Meeting With Oprah "Became a Tug-of-War"
    • Queen Camilla turned to the side wearing a green dress Queen Camilla's Friend Shares Her Philosophy on Prince Harry Relationship

    "When I met him, the first thing out of his mouth was, 'Forgive Me' and the wall between us fell down," Madonna recounts. "Forgiveness is a powerful tool." She says that "within minutes" they were hugging each other.

    A post shared by Madonna (@madonna)

    Madonna and John's feud extends back to the early 2000s. As reported by CBS News, in 2002, John dissed Madonna's song for the James Bond movie Die Another Day. In 2004, he claimed that she lip-syncs while he was giving a speech at the Q Awards. "That's me off her Christmas card list, but do I give a toss? No," the Rocket Man singer said.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    The two then had a public back-and-forth that lasted years, with John sometimes commenting on the situation in interviews and Madonna giving statements via her publicist. The feud involved everything from them competing against each other for Best Original Song at the Golden Globes to John being rumored to have called Madonna a "miserable cow".

    Suffice to say, they had a lot to get past, and it appears that they have done so at last. John reposted Madonna's Instagram to his own Instagram story and added, "A healing moment @madonna" with a red heart emoji. He also left a comment on the "Vogue" singer's post, writing in part, "Thank you for forgiving me and my big mouth. I'm not proud of what I said. Particularly when I think about all the groundbreaking work you have done as an artist - paving the way for an entire generation of female artists to succeed and be true to themselves." He also praises Madonna for speaking up about HIV/AIDS in the 1980s.

    The two musicians could even end up working together. In her post, Madonna writes, "He told me had written a song for me and he wanted to collaborate." In his comment, John shares, "Both you and I have wholeheartedly been accepted and embraced by communities who are under threat around the world. By pulling together, I'm hopeful that we can make great things happen for those who really need support. And have a lot of fun doing it!!" Their fans will surely be waiting!

    Lia Beck

    Lia Beck is a writer living in Brooklyn, NY, who covers entertainment, celebrity, and lifestyle. The former celebrity news editor at Bustle, she has also written for Refinery29, Hello Giggles, Cosmopolitan, PEOPLE, Entertainment Weekly, and more.

    Read more
    Elton John playing the piano at Princess Diana's funeral
    Royals Earl Spencer Reveals the Song Elton John Almost Performed at Diana's Funeral
    By Kristin Contino
    Sabrina Carpenter's performance outfit at the 2026 MTV VMAs
    Celebrity Style Sabrina Carpenter Trades a 2026 MTV VMAs Dress for a Madonna-Style Stage Outfit
    By Meguire Hennes
     
     
    a headshot of singer sheryl crow wearing a leather jacket and resting her chin in her hand with the logo for the marie claire franchise listen up
    Music Sheryl Crow Would Rather Make Protest Music Than Chase a Hit The legendary singer-songwriter dishes on her hopeful, new record 'Pick You Up,' and what she's been listening to.
    By Sadie Bell
    Prince William and Princess Kate standing in front of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Queen Elizabeth's funeral
    Royals A Source Close to Harry and Meghan Weighs In on “Nonsense” Claims Regarding Their Relationship With William and Kate
    By Kristin Contino
     
     
    Latest in Celebrity
    Taylor Swift poses for a selfie with Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Travis Kelce at the Eras Tour in 2024
    Royals Prince William "Was Trying to Move" Away From Travis Kelce
    Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Taylor Swift attend the Winter Whites Gala In Aid Of Centrepoint on November 26, 2013 in London, England.
    Royals Prince William Is "Cringing" About Meeting Taylor Swift
     
     
    Princess Charlotte waving in a white dress walking in front of Prince Louis
    Royals Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte Are "Obsessed" With One TV Show
    Infanta Sofia wearing a blue dress and smiling
    Royals Spain's Infanta Sofia Makes a Fashion Swap That "Will Go Down in History"
     
     
    Latest in News
    Taylor Swift poses for a selfie with Prince William, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Travis Kelce at the Eras Tour in 2024
    Royals Prince William "Was Trying to Move" Away From Travis Kelce
    Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Taylor Swift attend the Winter Whites Gala In Aid Of Centrepoint on November 26, 2013 in London, England.
    Royals Prince William Is "Cringing" About Meeting Taylor Swift
     
     
    Princess Charlotte waving in a white dress walking in front of Prince Louis
    Royals Prince Louis and Princess Charlotte Are "Obsessed" With One TV Show
    Infanta Sofia wearing a blue dress and smiling
    Royals Spain's Infanta Sofia Makes a Fashion Swap That "Will Go Down in History"
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.