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Madonna news - Dec. 2013
← Nov. 2013 | Jan. 2014 →
Madonna's kids hit the slopes in snowy photos from the Queen of Pop herself
Source: Daily Mirror - 30 December 2013Madonna has taken her brood skiing!
The international superstar's four kids - Lourdes, Rocco, David and Mercy all wrapped up warm for their winter sporting trip as these snaps from the Queen of Pop herself show.
While David and Mercy strapped on their skis ready for a day on the piste, Rocco stuck himself to a snowboard and threw himself down the slopes with aplomb.
Madge's eldest son even showed off the film-making skills he's inherited from his director father Guy Ritchie, with another jaw-dropping video of his snowboarding exploits.
Skiing is amazing - especially skiing with your mother Madonna - but it's probably not going to top Mercy's list of the best thing to happen to her this year.
Just before Christmas Madonna and her youngest daughter popped along to Beyonce's concert and half way through Queen Bey stopped at the 7-year-old's front row seat and planted a big smacker on her forehead.
Madonna, family hit slopes in Gstaad
Source: NY Post - 30 December 2013Madonna is known for buff biceps and abs of steel at 55, and she doesn't want her kids getting soft around the middle either.
Madge and her brood — including son Rocco, 13, and daughter Lourdes, 17 — have been hitting the slopes in Gstaad, “skiing every day,” spies said. During one run, Madonna was overheard saying of her family's attitude at high altitude: “We go big or go home.”
Madge nudged Rocco, one insider said, quipping, “When you're with me, it's hard-core exercise. With me, it's nothing but exercise.” She then joked to a friend, “He doesn't do that with his dad,” meaning British director Guy Ritchie.
Brave Rocco, who's been taking a cue from his father and shooting movies on the slopes, we hear, shot back to his mom, “Drop it!”
Meantime, La Guardia HS student Lourdes turned heads with her New York style at the ritzy GreenGo Club, we hear, when she showed up in “jeans and a cropped, sheer top.” “This place is filled with Dior and Hermes, even for the teen set who all go to Le Rosey,” sniffed a source. A rep for Madonna didn't get back to us.
Beyonce wanted to follow in the footsteps of Madonna
Source: US Magazine - 23 December 2013 
Girls really do run the world! Beyonce held a "visual album" screening of her self titled fifth album (featuring 17 epic videos) Saturday, Dec. 21 at the School of Visual Arts in NYC -- and the global singing sensation shared with fans that her inspiration was none other than Madonna!
Following a screening of all 17 videos, which were played consecutively with movie theater quality sound, Beyonce took to the stage to address the crowd. "I felt like I wanted to follow in the footsteps of Madonna and be a powerhouse and have my own empire," the songstress shared of the Queen of Pop, 55, who actually attended Beyonce's Brooklyn show on Thursday, Dec. 19. Madonna shared an adorable Instagram photo from the show of the "XO" singer planting a kiss on her 8-year-old daughter Mercy James.
Madonna joins Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon on Saturday Night Live
22 December 2013During last night's Christmas episode of Saturday Night Live, hosts Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake invited an impressive list of celebrities to be part of the show. Madonna appeared in the segment of the "Barry Gibb Talk Show" as a guest who spoke about unity among politicians before putting her blinged-out grill on her teeth. It was the first time bringing back the skit since Robin Gibb's passing in 2012.
Later on, Madonna and Jimmy Fallon introduced Justin Timberlake when he took the stage to perform.
Madonna also posted pictures on her Instagram before and even during the performance.
Other celebrities on the show included Paul McCartney, Barry Gibb and Mayor Bloomberg.
Madonna appears in the Barry Gibb segment of SNL
Madonna and Jimmy Fallon present Justin Timberlake
Beyoncé kisses Madonna's daughter during her Mrs. Carter Show
Source: People.com - 22 December 2013The Queen of Pop and Queen Bey are clearly in alliance.
Madonna treated her Instagram followers to two special snapshots of Beyoncé's Mrs. Carter show in Brooklyn on Thursday, including a photo of the "Flawless" singer kissing the Material Mom's daughter, Mercy James .
To caption the sweet moment between the fellow pop diva and her 7-year-old, Madonna writes, "Mercy James gets a big fat one from the Queen. B!"
Madonna also posted an action shot of Beyoncé bustin' a move in her purple-sequined jumpsuit, adding the description, "Mrs. Carter crushes the BK with her bad a––show! Girls run the world!"
Beyoncé shocked the music industry by releasing a surprise self-titled album last week with 14 songs and 17 videos, explaining that she hoped to engross fans in the way that Michael Jackson's Thriller album captivated her as a child.
"I miss that immersive experience," she said in a video announcement on her Facebook page. "Now people only listen to a few seconds of a song on the iPods and they don't really invest in the whole album."
Madonna and daughter Lourdes party after ‘Grease’
Source: NY Post - 22 December 2013
Madonna threw an after-party for her daughter Lourdes Leon following her final performance in LaGuardia High School's production of “Grease.”
The Material Mom was spotted in the audience at the musical Sunday “in sunglasses for the whole show,” before bringing Lola, who played the character of Rizzo, and 10 of her friends to an “apres-ski themed” lounge at the Hudson Hotel.
“Madonna toasted with champagne,” said a witness, while “the kids all had pink lemonade.”
Madonna named the Top-Earning Woman in Music 2013
Source: Forbes - 11 December 2013After previously topping Forbes' lists of Highest Earning Musicians and Highest Earning Celebrities, Madonna has now also been named as the Highest Earning Woman in Music 2013.
Madonna is the top-earning woman in music - not to mention the top-earning musician or celebrity of any stripe, regardless of gender.
In her classic song Like A Prayer, Madonna notes that life is a mystery and "everyone must stand alone." That holds true for the Material Girl herself, at least when it comes to earnings: she’s all by herself atop this year’s list of the highest-paid women in music.
Madonna pulled in $125 million over the past year, making her music's top earner of any genre or gender and the highest-paid celebrity of any stripe. She augments her income with merchandise sales, her Material Girl clothing line and her Truth or Dare fragrance. But Madge's millions mostly came from the tail end of her MDNA Tour, which grossed $305 million.
"She has global hits and they span decades and genres and generations," says entertainment attorney Lori Landew of Fox Rothschild. Madonna draws her audiences from so many pools and she has connected to so many people through her music that it should be no surprise that her tours are so successful."
To form their list, Forbes looked at income from June 1st, 2012 through June 1st, 2013, using data sources including Pollstar, the RIAA, Nielsen SoundScan, managers and attorneys. They took into account concert ticket sales, royalties for recorded music and publishing, merchandise sales, endorsement deals and other business ventures. Their estimates reflect pretax income before deducting fees for agents, managers and lawyers.
Did Madonna and Brahim split up?
Source: Perez Hilton - 10 December 2013Sources reveal EXCLUSIVELY to PerezHilton.com that the Queen Of Pop is single and… NOT romantically mingling with her ex!
Madonna's recent humanitarian trip to Haiti with ex-husband Sean Penn had us and a lot of hardcore fans hoping for a reconciliation between the former lovers. However, we will have to keep holding our breath for that one!
Our digging did pay off, though, as sources tell us that Madonna is done done DONE with dancer boyfriend of the past couple years, Brahim Zaibat.
The relationship ran its course and came to a screeching halt over distance and work obligations, specifically Brahim being involved with the French version of Dancing With the Stars now.
"M thought that was too cheesy," says a source. Another adds that Madonna felt "used" and that there's "no chance" she and her former backup dancer will get back together.
Yeah, but what about Sean Penn????
'Frozen' plagiarism case re-opened in Belgian court
Source: Het Nieuwsblad, translation by Mad-Eyes - 10 December 2013
Yesterday the court of Mons, Belgium has re-opened the debates regarding the case of Acquaviva against Madonna. A few years ago, the composer Salvatore Acquaviva started legal action against Madonna, claiming her song Frozen plagiarised his song 'Ma via fout le camp'.
The lawyers of Madonna's record labels voiced their opinions on Monday. They say that the prohibition on selling Madonna's song in Belgium is unlawful. The earlier reasoning that Madonna might have heard the song 'Ma vie fout le camp' during a possible stay in Belgium in the 70s, isn't based on any serious evidence.
In 2005 a judge in Mons decided that part of Frozen (1998) plagiarised Acquaviva's song, which he composed in the 70s. All copies of the Ray Of Light album were removed from record stores and the song was banned from Belgian radio stations. In 2009, a special edition of the compilation album Celebration was released in Belgium, which excluded the song Frozen. Back then, record label Marketing Manager Bert Bieseman said: "If we can't release the compilation in Belgium, we have a serious budget problem. Yet we can't risk releasing the album with the song included, because the court fines are enormous." The three concerned record labels filed for complaint against the court's decision.
On December 16th, the debates will continue.
Madonna's daughter Lourdes stars in Grease high school musical: See her as Rizzo
Source: US Weekly - 10 December 2013There are worse things she could do! Madonna's daughter Lourdes Leon starred in her high school's production of Grease on Sunday, Dec. 8. The 17-year-old student played the role of Betty Rizzo -- and certainly looked the part!
In one scene, Lourdes, styling shoulder-length dark hair, showed off her dance skills in a black-and-red dress on stage at LaGuardia High School in New York City. She showed some attitude while channeling the tough, sarcastic leader of the Pink Ladies, played by Stockard Channing in the 1978 film.
"[She was] really good," an eyewitness told Us Weekly of Lourdes' performance. "She is a great singer, dancer and actress and seemed completely comfortable on the stage. She also seemed like she was having a lot of fun with the part."
Luckily, Lourdes' mother Madonna managed to make it to at least one of her shows. A source told Us that the 55-year-old Material Girl watched her daughter with Lola's father, Madonna's ex Carlos Leon , perform on Friday, Dec. 6, but kept a low-profile in the auditorium.
In the show's program, Lourdes' bio read: "She would like to thank her parents with all of her heart for giving her guidance and love and supporting her passions wholeheartedly."
Madonna joins campaign to support Russian LGBT community
Source: Hollywood Reporter - 6 December 2013The singer is backing the Human Rights Campaign's "Love Conquers Hate" initiative ahead of the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
MOSCOW – Madonna has signed up for a campaign in support of Russia's LGBT community.
The U.S. singer, who has repeatedly expressed her outrage against the law on gay propaganda, has joined the Human Rights Campaign's "Love Conquers Hate" initiative. As the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics approaches, more and more Western celebrities are worried that the law, adopted first in St. Petersburg and later nationwide, could be used as a means to crack down on the local LGBT community.
"Even with the 2014 Sochi Olympics just a few months away, fair-minded Russians are facing fines, harassment and violence at the hand of thugs," Madonna said on the campaign's website. "At this dangerous moment in Russian history, we, as advocates, have a responsibility to speak up and take our hopeful message global."
She continued: "Together, we can send a message to LGBT Russians that the world is on their side, and that those who seek to support them aren't alone in this fundamental fight for fairness."
Russian LGBT rights organizations have welcomed Madonna's move. "It is very important that celebrities like Madonna or Lady Gaga join initiatives of that kind," Maria Kozlovskaya, a lawyer for the Russian LGBT Network, a national organization with a headquarters in St Petersburg, told the The Hollywood Reporter.
"That inspires the LGBT community members to further fight for their rights and gives them hope for improvement of their situation," she added.
Madonna's August 2012 performance in St Petersburg, during which she spoke in support of local gays, waved an LGBT flag and stripped to black lingerie, showing the words "No Fear" scrawled on her bare back, stirred controversy. A local organization tried to sue her under the gay propaganda law for $10 million (333 million rubles), but the court threw out the lawsuit.
Madonna proves she's the most awesome mother ever as she rocks out with son Rocco
Source: Daily Mirror - 6 December 2013We wouldn't look as happy dancing with out mothers as Rocco does, but then again our mothers aren't reigning queens of pop.
Madonna may be the coolest mother ever.
Admittedly we'd probably be mortified if our mothers flashed their crotches and danced around in six inch heels but it looks like Rocco Ritchie doesn't have that problem.
The reigning Queen of Pop - sorry Gaga! - posted a picture of her dancing with her son on her Instagram account and she looks awesome dressed in a simple religion-inspired t-shirt.
Madge recently made a brief return to Twitter in October to promote her secret project that was revealed to be a short film to promote Art for Freedom.
It's described as a "global digital initiative committed to bringing awareness to human rights violations."
So basically it's a big PR stunt but with a nice aim.
Madonna recently showed us all that she's still got it - or at least the earning power by topping Forbes magazine's highest-paid musicians list ahead of her rival Lady Gaga and a whole host of other global singers.
The Material Girl topped the list after earning $125 million between June 2012 and May 2013, boosted by her sell-out MDNA tour which grossed a massive $305 million.
Rekindling love? Madonna and Sean Penn spotted together in Haiti
Source: Daily Express - 4 December 2013
ALMOST 30 years ago they were famously nicknamed the ‘Poison Penns' after their 1985 marriage turned more than just a little bit toxic.
And apart from the odd coincidental appearance together, Madonna and Sean Penn have never been seen sharing the love since their very public bust up.
It apparently all went wrong on the set of their 1986 movie flop Shanghai Surprise, with reports of spectacular bust ups and hissy fits from the leading lady.
When released, the film could not even boast mixed reviews, it was universally panned with critics slamming the cringeworthy lack of chemistry between the two stars.
After their divorce in 1989 Madonna, 55, has married once since, to film director Guy Ritchie, though that union too turned sour in 2008.
Sean has also been married to actress and singer Robin Wright, but that ended in 2010 after she filed for divorce.
Now both single, the pair have one again been spotted together looking more than just a bit friendly, currently in Haiti.
Madonna flew out with her son Rocco, 13 to support Sean's J/P Haitian Relief Organisation in the Caribbean country which was devastated by the 2010 earthquake.
Insiders say the former couple are enjoying a "lovely reunion" as they work together on projects.
Penn, 53, has served as an ambassador for Haiti since early 2012 after founding his humanitarian group in the aftermath of the earthquake.
He revealed that he had invited his ex-wife and that they have "maintained a great friendship over the years".
He said: "She's here, she's seeing, she's made the effort to come here, and I'm thrilled by that.
"She has a unique platform, and wherever she chooses to bring that to, it's very well."
So the question on everybody's lips is - will we see one of the world's most (in)famous couples relight their fire?
Even the bookies are getting in on the speculation with Coral offering odds of 10/1 they will confirm they are in a relationship again before the end of 2013.
To be photographed kissing before the end of 2013 they are offering 12/1 with 6/1 on adopting a child together "as a couple" before the end of 2015.
And the big on, for those with a taste for wedding cake, 8/1 that they re-marry before the end of 2015.
Spokeswoman Nicola McGeady said: "Punters have picked up on the chemistry between former flames Madonna and Sean Penn, and with the pair working close together, we've had a flutter of bets on them reuniting."
So what are the chances?
Well, Madonna has made no secret of the fact Sean has always been the "love of her life".
And despite numerous relationships, including her current romance with 24-year-old dancer Brahim Zaibat, she has never really seemed happy - until now.
Sean has been less vocal about his feelings for Madonna over the years other than to say she was always too career focussed when they were together.
Now they have both calmed down a bit, would be it be so out of the blue to see a less-poisonous, or even sweet Penn reunion?
Madonna joins forces with Elizabeth Taylor Charity for soccer initiative
Source: ContactMusic - 4 December 2013Madonna is teaming up with bosses at Dame Elizabeth Taylor's Aids Foundation for a soccer initiative to raise awareness of the disease in Africa.
The Queen of Pop's Raising Malawi organisation and the late Hollywood legend's charity will join forces with the Grassroot Soccer program, which helps educate youngsters about Hiv prevention and testing through the power of the hugely popular sport.
The Material Girl says, "I'm excited to partner with The Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation to expand Grassroot Soccer's Hiv prevention programs in Malawi.
"I'm passionate about education especially and these programs give girls and boys the tools they need to live healthier, more productive lives. Elizabeth Taylor was a role model for many, including myself!
"She devoted a large part of her life to making the world a better place. I know she would be pleased to see her work continue in the fight against Aids ."
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