Belinda Carlisle is no stranger to criticism, so it’s no surprise The Go-Go’s singer is sticking up for pop icon Madonna.
Carlisle said in a new interview with Stellar Magazine (h/t Daily Mail), “‘I respect what she’s doing. She’s brave putting herself out there like that. I don’t think I could ever do it.”
She added, “There are elements of ageism and sexism; I get that… not as bad as her. They’ll either say, ‘Oh, she’s a hag’ or ‘Oh my God, look at all the work she’s had done.’ No one says that about guys, you know.”
Madonna made headlines following her appearance at the 2023 Grammy Awards in February. Many people took to social media to criticize her appearance. The source of criticism was the apparent cosmetic surgery she had done to her face.
In the days following the Grammy Awards, Madonna took to Instagram to respond to the many things people were saying about her face. She shared, in part, “Once again, I am caught in the glare of ageism and misogyny that permeates the world we live in. A world that refuses to celebrate women past the age of 45 and feels the need to punish her, if she continues to be strong-willed, hard-working and adventurous.”
Madonna added, “I have never apologized for any of the creative choices I have made, nor the way that I look or dress, and I’m not going to start. I have been degraded by the media since the beginning of my career, but I understand that this is all a test, and I am happy to do the trailblazing so that all the women behind me can have an easier time in the years to come. In the words of Beyonce, ‘You-won’t break my soul.'”