Madonna responds to criticism for her look at the Grammys 2:23
(CNN) --
Madonna pushed back against criticism of her appearance after her appearance at the Grammy Awards on Sunday night.
In her latest Instagram post, the award-winning singer lamented being "caught up in the glare of ageism and misogyny that pervades the world we live in" after a close-up photo of her face went viral online. and unleash an avalanche of negative comments.
The image was taken while Madonna was introducing Kim Petras and Sam Smith's performance on "Unholy."
(Smith identifies as non-binary, while Petras became the first openly transgender woman to perform at the event.)
Madonna called it a "historic moment", adding: "Instead of focusing on what I said in my speech, which was about saying thanks for the bravery of artists like Sam and Kim, a lot of people preferred to just talk about the photos of me. close-ups taken with a long-lens camera by a press photographer that would distort anyone's face."
Madonna presented the first performance by an openly transgender woman at the Grammys.
(Credit: Timothy Norris/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
Madonna's Instagram profile was flooded with comments calling her terrifying, unrecognizable and denouncing her alleged "obsession with plastic surgery", although the singer has never publicly addressed rumors of cosmetic enhancements.
British TV presenter Piers Morgan, who is often criticized for making hateful and sexist comments, dedicated a segment to the viral photo on his show "Piers Morgan Uncensored."
The 64-year-old artist responded to the comments by saying in her Instagram post that the world "refuses to celebrate women over 45."
The singer described the comments about her appearance as age discriminatory and misogynistic.
(Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
Being in the spotlight for a controversial look is familiar territory for Madonna.
But the singer, who wore a satin gown in the 1989 video for "Like a Prayer" and a Jean Paul Gaultier cone bra during her "Blond Ambition" world tour in 1990, has never been intimidated by public opinion. .
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"I have never apologized for any of the creative decisions I've made or the way I look or dress, and I'm not going to start doing so," he wrote in the post.
"I've been demoted by the media since the beginning of my career, but I understand that this is all a test and I'm happy to lead the way so that all the women who come after me can have an easier time in the years to come."
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