Madonna blasted for video of son dancing in honour of George Floyd

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The singer and actress Madonna (Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone) in concert at the Pala Alpitour in Turin during a stage of her Rebel Heart World Tour. Turin (Italy) November 21st, 2015 (Photo by Marco Piraccini/Archivio Marco Piraccini/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)
Madonna in concert at the Pala Alpitour in Turin (Marco Piraccini/Archivio Marco Piraccini/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images)

Madonna has come under fire for sharing a video of her son dancing to Michael Jackson to honour a black man whose death in police custody has sparked outrage in the US.

George Floyd died this week, with a video showing him struggling for breath as a white policeman leaned on his neck, and it has triggered protests in America.

Madonna, 61, was one of many people to share a tribute online, posting a video of her 14-year-old adopted son David Banda dancing to the track They Don't Care About Us by Michael Jackson.

She wrote: “As news of George Floyd’s brutal murder travels around the world my son David Dances to honor and pay tribute to George and His Family and all Acts of Racism and Discrimination that happen on a daily basis in America.”

However, plenty of fans seem to think the Queen of Pop’s clip missed the mark, deeming it “inappropriate”.

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MIAMI BEACH, FL - DECEMBER 03:  David Banda and Madonna at her Evening of Music, Art, Mischief and Performance to Benefit Raising Malawi at Faena Forum on December 3, 2016 in Miami Beach, Florida.  (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Bulgari)
David Banda and Madonna at her Evening of Music, Art, Mischief and Performance to Benefit Raising Malawi, 2016. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Bulgari)

“This was completely inappropriate and absolutely unnecessary,” said one person on Twitter. “Your son being used by you to ‘prove a point’ was uncalled for.”

“It’s self-centered, insensitive and completely out of touch with real people!!” said another.

“This is so distasteful, read the room,” tweeted one person.

Singer Madonna and David Banda arrive at the 56th GRAMMY Awards held at the Staples Center. (Photo by Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images)
Madonna and David Banda arrive at the 56th GRAMMY Awards held at the Staples Centre. (Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images)

Another posted: “Hang on… did I just see that Madonna got her black son to dance like Michael Jackson to *end* racism? 2020, the year that just won’t quit…”

Other people questioned the use of a song by Jackson in the wake of the controversy sparked by last year’s Leaving Neverland documentary, in which two men claimed that the late star abused them when they were children.

“I think Madonna has been too rich and too famous for too long to be normal. A Michael Jackson impression is not what this situation calls for,” said one.

“Madonna posting a video of her grown son dancing to Michael Jackson in her kitchen to ‘honour’ George Floyd is about as tone deaf as you can get,” said another.

Pop superstars Madonna and Michael Jackson went out for dinner together at a restaurant in Los Angeles Tuesday night, April 10, 1991. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
Madonna and Michael Jackson at a restaurant in Los Angeles in 1991. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)

However, others said they thought the video was “amazing”.

“That was so powerful and heartfelt,” one fan posted on Instagram, while another said it was “beautiful”.

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“I can't believe people hurling negativity and horrible comments at Madonna’s 14-year-old son for dancing to a song about the injustices black men face, he is black for goodness sake. I feel so bad for him,” said another.

Madonna has six children - biological children Lourdes and Rocco and adopted children David Banda, Mercy James, Estere and Stelle.

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