The wild moment Courtney Love attacked Madonna with make-up
Since its launch in 1984, MTV‘s annual Video Music Awards held every summer has a long history of surrounding drama and controversy eagerly lapped up by a gutter press keen to peddle the latest tabloid gossip. From Andrew ‘Dice’ Clay’s smutty introduction to Cher to Lady Gaga’s thin-cut Argentinian beef dress, the celebrity court of press attention often eclipses the awards ceremony itself.
Ever the shrewd and mercurial artist and businessperson, former Queen of Pop Madonna is no stranger to the VMAs’ pop-cultural roll-call of famous events. Playing the very first event, Madonna greeted the New York audience on top of a 17-foot cake in a bridal gown, breaking into ‘Like a Virgin‘ a month before it was even released, gifting the music world a TV moment as iconic as Michael Jackson’s moonwalk on NBC’s Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever the year before.
19 years later, the giant cake was wheeled out once again at the same spot, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera donning bridal dresses playing ‘Like a Virgin’ before Madonna herself ensured the event was 2003’s talk of the town by tongue-smooching the pair of them.
Madonna found herself at the centre of another VMA media frenzy, this time unwittingly. Held in MTV favourite Radio City Music Hall, 1995’s VMAs were tame by their own standards, TLC walked away with the coveted ‘Moonman’ gong with ‘Waterfalls’ winning Video of the Year, Jackson returned during his HIStory hurrah with an eight-song medley, and Hole blasted through a PA wrecking single song set of ‘Violet’ from their defining Live Through This.
Having fulfilled her duties presenting Dr Dre’s Best Rap Video win for ‘Keep Their Heads Ringin’, Madonna stuck around for a post-show interview with MTV News correspondent Kurt Loder. While chatting about upcoming musical projects, a volley of compact make-up mirrors descend upon the stage, lobbed by a wobbly Courtney Love, having helped herself to the hospitality bar. Loder invites Love up, Madonna quipping, “Courtney Love is in dire need of attention right now” as she staggers up the staircase.
Allegedly, Madonna’s frosty reception was partly due to Hole rejecting her Maverick label signing several years earlier. Regardless, a whirlwind TV moment is had, Love confessing her crush on comedian and political commentator Dennis Miller, declaring who has the better shoes, and comparing dating within the music industry to surgeons seeing other hospital staff colleagues.
Love stealing Madonna’s show wasn’t going to endear herself to the pop megastar. “I think you should get out of the hospital,” Madonna replied. “No, man, I like it in here. Nice clothes, good money,” Love quipped before Madonna’s icy retort: “And a lot of available drugs”. Ouch.
Before Madonna’s team whisks her away, Love stayed to close out the interviewing segment, gifting the pop press with plenty to chew over for the next week or so. Speaking to New York Daily News a few days later, Love alleged that the prickly encounter belied their amicable relationship. Madonna was reported to have sent Love flowers following her late husband Kurt Cobain’s death in ’94.
