Madonna is no stranger to censorship. The Grammy winner’s spread of misleading information about coronavirus resulted in her account being flagged by Instagram.
The “Hung Up” singer, 61, posted a video to the social media platform that promoted a COVID-19 conspiracy theory. In the clip, Dr. Stella Immanuel alleged that a cure has “been found and proven and has been available for months” through the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine. The Houston-based physician claimed to have treated 350 coronavirus patients with the medication.
“They would rather let fear control them and let the rich get richer and the poor and sick get sicker,” Madonna captioned her post, per The Daily Beast. “This woman is my hero — thank you Stella Immanuel.”
Instagram censored the video on Tuesday, July 28. The clip was blurred and a “false information” caption was placed over it. Additionally, a link that was added debunked Immanuel’s claims and indicated that a cure does not exist at this time.
The controversial post is no longer present on Madonna’s official Instagram page.
Earlier this week, Donald Trump Jr. faced a similar situation for tweeting out the same video as Madonna. Twitter temporarily suspended some of his account features for promoting the conspiracy theory video because it was against the platform’s policies.
A rep for Trump Jr., 42, told BBC News on Monday, July 27, that Twitter’s decision to place limitations on his account is “beyond the pale,” adding: “Twitter suspending Don Jr. for sharing a viral video of medical professionals discussing their views on hydroxychloroquine is further proof that big tech is intent on killing free expression online, and is another instance of them committing election interference to stifle Republican voices.”
Madonna, for her part, has made headlines for her comments and actions amid the coronavirus pandemic prior to now. In April, she posted a “Quarantine Diary” video update to Instagram about her plans upon testing for coronavirus antibodies.
“Took a test the other day and I found out that I have the antibodies,” she said at the time. “So tomorrow, I’m just going to go for a long drive in a car and I’m gonna roll down the window and I’m gonna breathe in — I’m gonna breathe in the COVID-19 air.”
Us Weekly has reached out to Madonna’s reps for comment.
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