Madonna delivers weird rendition of Britney Spears' 'Toxic' with anti-Trump message
Madonna has always been known as one vocal activist, and recently, the pop icon has been making headlines again after delivering a sultry and odd rendition of Britney Spears' song, "Toxic," while taunting President-elect Donald Trump at a charity event.
On Friday night, the 58-year-old artist hosted a charity gala at Art Basel in Miami, an auction event that sought to raise funds for Malawi, the African nation where Madonna's adopted son David is from. Wearing a pink clown costume, Madonna sang "Toxic" to a minimalist beat, while photos of Trump and post-election protests flashed on the screen. Trump's face was shown on the screens behind Madonna particularly when she belted out the lines "Don't you know that you're toxic."
After her "Toxic" number, Madonna asked the audience, "I'm not being too opinionated? Too extreme? I'm not insulting anyone? I'm not insulting anyone? I must not be doing something right."
During the U.S. elections campaign period, Madonna publicly spoke against Trump, while she supported Hillary Clinton.
Madonna's creative tirade against Trump paid off as she raised $7.5 million that night, Vanity Fair reports. One of the items that got the highest bid during the event was an artwork from Tracey Emin from Madonna's personal collection; it drew $550,000. Another was a set of three photos from Madonna and Sean Penn's 1985 wedding shot by famous American fashion photographer Herb Ritts, receiving $230,000. A weeklong stay at Leonardo DiCaprio's Palm Springs' home was also a favorite, getting a bid of $140,000.
One of the highlights of the show was when Madonna took to the stage to dance with Ariana Grande to "Music." Another was when she performed "Beautiful Stranger" for the first time in 15 years.
Apart from DiCaprio, Grande and Penn, who was there to help during the auction, David Blaine, Chris Rock, James Corden, Dave Chappelle and Courtney Love also attended the event.
