April 8 (UPI) — Music icons Madonna and Elton John have resolved their decades-long feud.
The news arrived Monday, when Madonna, 66, posted a photograph of the duo on social media.
“We finally buried the hatchet,” she wrote, noting that she had attended Saturday Night Live to see John’s performance over the weekend. He and Brandi Carlile took the SNL stage Saturday following the release of their album Who Believes in Angels?
“I remembered when I was in high school, I snuck out of the house one night to see Elton perform live in Detroit! It was an unforgettable performance that helped me understand the transformative power of music,” she wrote. “Seeing him perform when I was in high school changed the course of my life. I had always felt like an outsider growing up and watching him on stage helped me to understand that it was OK to be different — to stand out out — to take the road less traveled by. In fact, it was essential.”
The feud began in 2004, when John made disparaging comments about Madonna.
“Since when has lip-syncing been live? Sorry about that, but I think everyone who lip-syncs on stage in public when you pay like 75 quid to see them should be shot,” he said during an award ceremony that year, per Variety.
He also described her as a “fairground stripper” in 2012, the outlet reports.
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“Over the decades it hurt me to know that someone I admired so much shared his dislike of me publicly as an artist. I didn’t understand it. I was told Elton John was the musical guest on SNL and I decided to go,” Madonna wrote on Instagram. “I needed to go backstage and confront him. When I met him, the first thing out of his mouth was, ‘Forgive me,’ and the wall between us fell down. Forgiveness is a powerful tool. Within minutes we were hugging.”
She added that John had also mentioned wanting to make music together.
John commented on her post, thanking her for stopping by.
“And thank you for forgiving me and my big mouth,” he wrote. “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. You were also one of the very first people to rise up against HIV/AIDS in the ’80s, bringing love and compassion to so many who desperately needed it.”
He said he was thankful that they were moving beyond the feud, especially amid the “divisiveness in our world.”
“Both you and I have wholeheartedly been accepted and embraced by communities who are under threat around the world,” he said. “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.”
Carlile also weighed in on the resolution in the comment section, writing that “the gays won today folks.”
