Madonna Opens Up to Howard Stern About Getting Raped, Explains Why She Never Pressed Charges: "It's Just Not Worth It"

Singer gets candid during radio interview with Howard Stern

By Mike Vulpo Mar 11, 2015 11:55 PMTags
Howard Stern, MadonnaCourtesy of Kevin Mazur

Madonna may be one of the biggest pop stars in music history.

But long before selling out arenas and millions of albums, she was just a girl with a dream who wanted to make it big in New York City.

In a candid new interview with Sirius XM's Howard Stern Show, the Rebel Heart singer opened up about her big move from the Midwest to New York City. As it turned out, that first year living in the Big Apple was quite the difficult journey.

"First I was in shock, I didn't know a soul," she told Howard Stern when reliving her move to the East Coast. "I was saying hi to people on the streets like a dork." 

And as months passed by, Madonna's apartment kept getting robbed, leaving her with very few items. One of the most scariest events, however, happened when her friendliness got her into a difficult situation.

"I was going to a dance class and the door was locked and I needed money for the payphone," she explained. "[A man] gave it to me… he was a very friendly guy. I trusted everybody."

As it turns out, the unnamed person persuaded Madonna to make her phone call across the street where he lived. What came next was most horrifying.

"I was raped," she proclaimed. "The first year I lived in New York was crazy." 

When Stern and co-host Robin Quivers asked if she ever went to the police and filed charges, Madonna explained that the process was too overwhelming.

"You've already been violated," she explained. "It's just not worth it. It's too much humiliation."

And when asked if she ever wanted to just fly back home, Madonna was adamant that it was never a possibility.

"Well, have you ever been to Rochester, Michigan?" she asked. "I just didn't want to go back. I can't be around basic-thinking people."