Madonna bathtub speech

On March 21, 2020, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, American singer Madonna posted a video to Twitter and Instagram in which she delivered a monologue in the nude (albeit positioned so as not to reveal any intimate areas) from a rose-petaled bathtub during lockdown to slow, melancholic music, reflecting on the global crisis. In the video, she described COVID-19 as "the great equalizer," stating that the virus "doesn’t care about how rich you are, how famous you are, how funny you are, how smart you are, where you live, how old you are, what amazing stories you can tell. It’s the great equalizer." The speech was intended to underscore the shared vulnerability of all people during the pandemic.

However, the video received widespread criticism and backlash. Many commentators and members of the public deemed it tone-deaf and insensitive, particularly given the luxurious setting in which it was filmed and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on marginalized communities. Following the criticism, Madonna eventually deleted the video from her social media accounts.