Let’s get this out of the way: If you thought there was some hair-pulling, mic-snatching drama between Cyndi Lauper and Madonna, buckle up, because Ms. Lauper is here to set the record straight. Spoiler alert: There is no beef—just a lot of love and the occasional catchy bop.
In a chat with People, Cyndi (aka the human embodiment of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”) opened up about the so-called 80s feud between her and Madonna. And according to her, this “feud” was cooked up faster than instant ramen.
“In the ’80s, they started pitting women against each other,” she said, probably with an exaggerated eye-roll you could hear through the interview. But wait—it gets better: “Actually, it started back in the ’60s, when they wanted women to, like, unlearn all that women’s lib stuff and just go back to baking casseroles or whatever.”
So, what’s the real tea on Madonna? Does Cyndi have a secret stash of voodoo dolls dressed in cone bras? Nope. Not even close.
“As soon as I saw her do ‘Like a Prayer,’ I thought, ‘Holy moly, this chick is amazing!’” Cyndi gushed. “And from that moment on, I was officially a fan. I love her!”
And just in case that wasn’t enough to squish the gossip for good, Cyndi circled back earlier this year in an interview with The Guardian. “It’s like they thought there could only be one woman at the top, as if we’re Highlanders and someone’s gotta be decapitated to keep making pop music. What even is that nonsense?” she said, probably shaking her head in disbelief.
Cyndi wasn’t holding back about her respect for Madonna’s long career, either. “Madonna’s been entertaining us for years. She’s made some bangers! I mean, come on. I wanna be competitive, sure—but not in a ‘duel at dawn’ kind of way. That’s not my vibe.”
Cyndi Lauper and Madonna? No feud. Just mutual respect, iconic hits, and a reminder that life’s too short to pit queens against queens. Now, if anyone needs us, we’ll be over here blasting Like a Prayer and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun on repeat.
