Madonna waited 23 years to make her big VMAs comeback this year.
During the star-studded show on September 27, the 68-year-old artist delivered an elaborate performance packed with dancers, lasers, and surprise guests. But viewers couldn’t stop staring at an unusual shape beneath her pants.
“It looks like her [backside] is stuffed with something. Do you all see it?” one asked online.
Madonna’s VMAs comeback quickly became a conversation about her derrière
James Devaney/GC Images via Getty Images
Riding on the high of 11 nominations, Madonna opened the 2026 MTV VMAs on September 27 with a comeback show.
The performance, however, was overshadowed by accusations about something in her underwear.
Many claimed she was wearing diapers, while others claimed it had something to do with cosmetic enhancements, hinting at possible butt implants or a BBL (Brazilian Butt Lift), which involves the transfer of excess fat from a patient’s belly, hips, lower back, or thighs to their buttocks.
“Isn’t it a diaper?” one asked after a clip of the 68-year-old artist onstage went viral.
Another had similar doubts, asking, “Is Madonna wearing a diaper?”
“Pretty sure I saw something fall out the front,” one claimed.
“It’s like those p*nties came too big and she had to stuff them so they wouldn’t fall down! That old woman needs to stay home!” another wrote.
“Is she wearing a diaper?” one asked, while another snarked, “She’s so desperate for attention”
Others spun different theories, saying she has had “Bad butt implants.”
“It’s either a very bad Brazilian Butt lift, she has butt pads stuffed in her shorts, or her Depends is full,” one said.
Another said, “I can’t be the only one seeing what’s going on with Madonna BBL.”
“With all due respect… why doesnt madonna remove the but*ch**ks implants??” said another. “At her age it really looks like she’s wearing a diaper…..”
The bizarre theories came as Madonna delivered one of the most power-packed VMAs performances of the night.
She opened the show with a dramatic “It’s mother…” proclamation and then gave an eight-minute performance, featuring smoke, lasers, and dancers descending from the ceiling.
A cast of familiar faces walked in and out, including Sabrina Carpenter, who joined her in singing their hit track Bring Your Love.
A number of famous faces walked in and out during Madonna’s performance
Charli XCX also showed up for a surprise appearance, just days after their collab Danceteria Afterhours dropped on Friday, September 24.
“Madonna is the one who paved the way for us all. She did it before we even dared to think it,” Charli wrote during the song release before thanking the pop icon “for everything.”
Seth Rogen, Sombr, Debi Mazar, and Julia Garner, who was cast to play Madonna in a biopic that’s been put on hold, also made cameo appearances.
Madonna’s performance at the 2026 VMAs marked her first in over two decades.
She last performed live at the annual music awards show in 2003 with Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. The performance was widely remembered for her kisses with both artists.
“You simply cannot tell the story of the VMAs without telling the story of Madonna,” said Chris Witherspoon
Madonna’s history with the VMAs goes all the way back to 1984 during the first installment of the annual ceremony.
She put on a raunchy rendition of her hit Like a Virgin during the inaugural show, which helped position the VMAs as a more rebellious and nonconformist alternative to award shows like the Grammys.
Many saw Madonna’s performance this year as a comeback, but longtime followers of the VMAs believe it was more of a return to an establishment she “helped build.”
One cannot tell the story of the VMAs without telling the story of Madonna, because her performance at the inaugural show played a massive role in carving out a name for the VMAs, according to NBC News entertainment contributor Chris Witherspoon.
“MTV could barely fill the seats at the VMAs in year one. By year two, pretty much every act wanted a spot on that stage,” Jeff Moore, a music marketing strategist, professor, and former touring musician, told TODAY.com. “…I’d give her a lot of credit for that turnaround.”
Witherspoon also told the outlet, “Madonna returning to the VMAs doesn’t feel like a comeback to me. It feels like the Queen of Pop returning to the house she helped build.”
Madonna won seven awards last night, including Best Collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter for Bring Your Love, and Artist of the Year.
Her Confessions II – The Film won her a list of awards: Best Dance, Best Album, Best Long Form Video, Best Choreography, and Best Cinematography.
Netizens spun wild theories after Madonna’s performance at the 2026 VMAs
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