Carrie Ann Inaba opened up about what it was like working as a backup dancer for Madonna in the ‘90s — and it sounds expensive.
“Back in the day, she was very strict,” Inaba, 55, said on the Monday, October 23, episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show. “She gave us this one rule, which I’m so grateful she did. It was, for every minute you’re late, you have to pay her $100 out of your paycheck.”
While host Jennifer Hudson joked that she would be “broke” working for the Queen of Pop — “I cannot be on time,” she quipped — Inaba said she learned about timeliness “really quickly” and keeps the lesson with her to this day. “I’m never late, I’m always early. So much so, that I waste half my day because you show up so early. Too early,” she said.
Inaba began dancing for Madonna, 65, at the age of 23 on her Girlie Show 1993 World Tour. Feeling like dancers are “put out to pasture” by 25, she retired after her stint with the singer and headed back to college.
“There was like Michael [Jackson], Prince and Madonna at the time. Right? I got on Madonna’s tour, and I was like, ‘That’s all I need,'” she said. “I went back to school after that. UCLA and I started studying world arts and cultures. I was like, ‘I’m done, I toured with Madonna, I’m good. I’m 23, I’m retiring.’”
Inaba noted that she’s “glad” she made the tough decision to take off her dancing shoes as it led her to the world of reality TV. She’s since starred as a judge on Dancing With the Stars since its 2005 premiere, made appearances on shows like Hannah Montana and Kidding and replaced cohost Julie Chen on The Talk in 2019.
Inaba made a home for herself at the talk show for two years before taking a leave of absence in April 2021 amid health concerns. The choreographer — who suffers from autoimmune conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, vasculitis and Sjogrën’s — made her official exit from the CBS series two months later.
“I just want to say that I’m filled with gratitude for the experience and for this chapter of my life that has been The Talk,” Inana wrote via Instagram at the time, calling it an “honor” to follow in the footsteps of the women who hosted before her. “I have made lifelong friendships, I’ve had incredible experiences and I’ve had wonderful discussions that helped me evolve as a human being.”
Inaba faced another health struggle in March after an appendicitis attack left her hospitalized and needing emergency surgery. She has since made a full recovery and kicked off season 32 of DWTS alongside fellow judges Derek Hough and Bruno Tonioli in September.
