Madonna Addressed the Aretha Franklin VMAs Speech That Upset People

During Monday night's 2018 MTV Video Music Awards in New York, just before presenting the Video of the Year Award, Madonna shared a lengthy anecdote about her start as a pop star, her struggle to find her place in show business and the debt she owed to Aretha Franklin, who passed away on Aug. 16.

In response, many critiqued Madonna's approach to Franklin's legacy, suggesting she had centered her own experience over that of Franklin's achievements.