Hollywood pop star Madonna makes an unexpected appearance in Los Angeles on Thursday, 4th November to support research on HIV/AIDS. The iconic singer came forward on the stage of amfAR Gala 2021 event. She made a moving speech on the stage supporting her long term friend and American fashion designer Jeremy Scott, who is working with an organisation, who fights against HIV/AIDS.
In the event there was around five hundred people including stars like Alessandra Ambrosio, Garcelle Beauvais, Ashley Benson, Boby Berk, Diplo, Kathy and Rick Hilton, Paris Jackson, Milla Jovovich, Meg Ryan, Bella Throne, Addison Rae, Bebe Rexha and many more. The Gala event was sponsored by Cadillac and FIJI Water. The surprise speech of Madonna helped raise more than $1.8 Million for the HIV/AIDS research.
Late in the evening, an Ellen von Unwerth’s photograph of Madonna was auctioned off for $70,000 and for that Madonna herself paid a tribute to the Moschino creative director and made a profound speech. She said, “In 1991, I stood on the amfAR stage and I was forced to clear up rumors that I had AIDS. I recall many journalists sticking microphones in my face, asking me, attacking me even, and saying ‘Madonna, Madonna is it true? Are you HIV positive? ’And of course my reply was ‘no, I just want to help people who are’.”
She further added in the speech, “That was an extremely eye-opening experience. I understood then that there was and there still is so much fear. That people thought if you stood next to a person with AIDS, or of course, hugged a person with AIDS, that you could get it. I witnessed how damaging it was. The hatred, the shaming, the fear, the misinformation that surrounded those suffering from this disease and unfortunately that fear still exists today. I’m sure that you are aware of it. I knew in that moment that my fight had just begun.”
After Madonna’s speech, designer Jeremy Scott embraced Madonna and after accepting the award he also made a heartfelt speech. He said, “It’s hard for others to even understand a time before social media and TikTok and having glimpses into other people’s lives and before a time when Ryan Murphy’s programs proliferated the airwaves with gay characters and cast, and way before Lil Nas X was topping the charts about bottoming, even before there was the term ally. There was only one word that represented a safe haven for young gays boys like me and that word was Madonna.”
