Madonna Reveals She And Elton John Finally 'Buried The Hatchet' After Decades-Long Feud

Harmony was finally restored when music icons Madonna and Elton John ended their decades-long feud over the weekend.

"We Finally Buried the Hatchet!!!" Madonna enthused on Tuesday's Instagram post.

The "Material Girl" singer decided to see John perform on SNL and meet him backstage when she learned he was going to be the show's musical guest alongside Brandi Carlile.

Madonna recalled her veneration of the "Rocket Man" EGOT winner, which started when she was a Rochester Adams High School student in Rochester Hills, Michigan.

"I went to see@eltonjohn perform on SNL this weekend!! WOW."

"I remembered when I was in high school- I snuck out of the house one night to see Elton perform live in Detroit! It was an unforgettable performance that helped me understand the transformative power of music."

The post included a photo of Madonna with John together backstage at SNL, happy to be in each other's company.

The 66-year-old continued:

"Seeing him perform when I was in high school changed the course of my life. I had always felt like an outsider growing up and watching him on stage helped me to understand that it was OK to be different-to stand out- to take the road, less traveled by."

"In fact, it was essential," she said.

Unfortunately, by the time Madonna emerged as a bona fide pop superstar and became an accomplished artist, fashion icon, and savvy businesswoman, her high-wattage celebrity came at a cost.

"Over the decades it hurt me to know that someone I admired so much shared his dislike of me publicly as an artist. I didn’t understand it," Madonna recalled.

When she heard John was going to perform on SNL, she decided to visit 30 Rockefeller Plaza.

"I needed to go backstage and confront him," she wrote. It's a good thing she did, because once they shared the same space in person, everything changed for the better.

Madonna said:

"When I met him, the first thing out of his mouth was, 'Forgive Me' and the wall between us fell down."

"Forgiveness is a powerful tool. Within minutes. We were hugging."

For those who've ever wanted two of the most influential musical forces to come together for an ultimate collab, they may finally get one.

"Then he told me [he] had written a song for me and he wanted to collaborate. It was like everything came full circle!!" she said, adding a reference to a classic Elton John tune, "And you can tell everybody , This is Your Song……….💙🩵🩶🤍"

Fans rejoiced over the monumental news of a repaired friendship.

@madonna/Instagram

@madonna/Instagram

@madonna/Instagram

@madonna/Instagram

@madonna/Instagram

@madonna/Instagram

It's a big deal, guys.

@madonna/Instagram

@madonna/Instagram

The love and respect was mutual.

John responded to Madonna's post, writing:

"@madonna Thank you for coming to see me at SNL. And thank you for forgiving me and my big mouth. I’m not proud of what I said."

"Particularly when I think about all the groundbreaking work you have done as an artist - paving the way for an entire generation of female artists to succeed and be true to themselves."

"You were also one of the very first people to rise up against HIV/AIDS in the 80’s, bringing love and compassion to so many who desperately needed it."

He continued:

"I’m grateful we can move forward. 🙏🏻🚀 I’m increasingly distressed by all the divisiveness in our world at the moment. Both you and I have wholeheartedly been accepted and embraced by communities who are under threat around the world."

"By pulling together, I’m hopeful that we can make great things happen for those who really need support. And have a lot of fun doing it!! ❤️❤️🚀🚀"

@madonna/Instagram

His response brought on all the feels.

John has never been one to shy away from being openly critical.

According to CBS News, his beef with Madonna likely began around November 2002 when he bashed her song "Die Another Day," which she performed, co-wrote, and produced for the James Bond movie of the same name. John called it "the worst Bond tune ever."

John told Sky News, "It hasn't got a tune. James Bond themes are usually very camp, and this one's different ... They should have gone for somebody like Lulu and Shirley Bassey, or maybe I'm in that league?" He added, "I don't think it's the best Madonna record and I'm a big fan."

In October 2004, he famously slammed Madonna when she was nominated in the best live act category for the British music magazine Q Awards in London.

"Since when has lip-synching been live? Anyone who lip-synchs in public on stage when you pay 75 pounds to see them should be shot. Thank you very much," he said in an acceptance speech for the classic songwriter award.

He added, "That's me off her Christmas card list, but do I give a toss? No."

Warning: NSFW

John later walked back his "unfair" criticism on Access Hollywood, saying:

"You know, I just said what I said and I've been meaning to say it for a long time."

"It was probably a bit unfair on Madonna, because a lot of people lip-synch worse and their whole show is lip-synched."

"Her show is not wholly lip-synched, but there's an element to it."

He did praise Madge as "a great artist" and stated that "She's a great writer, she's a great performer, she makes great records, and I just want to leave it at that."

Things got hostile again in January 2012 when John's partner, David Furnish, got involved.

John competed with Madonna in the same Golden Globe category for best original song. When Madonna won, Furnish wrote in a deleted private message on Facebook, "Madonna. Best song???? F**k off!!! Madonna winning best original song truly shows how these awards have nothing to do with merit."

Before the ceremony even began, John told host Carson Daly that his fellow nominee had "no f'king chance" of winning, and when asked if "those were fighting words," John replied, "No, those are accurate words."

Madonna laughed off John's hot take after winning the award, telling reporters after the ceremony that the "Crocodile Rock" singer "speaks to me for the next couple of years. He's been known to get mad at me, so I don't know. He's brilliant, and I adore him, so he'll win another award. I don't feel bad."

In July 2012, John ranted about Madonna again during an interview with Australian music critic and journalist Molly Meldrum.

"Why is she such a nightmare?" John said, adding, " Sorry, her career is over. Her tour has been a disaster, and it couldn't happen to a bigger [expletive]." He also likened her to a "fairground stripper" in the same interview.

Tensions seemed to soften in 2023 when John lauded Madonna's continuous efforts to speak up about AIDS and incorporated a tribute to those who've died from the disease in her show.

During her successful Celebration Tour, Madonna performed "Live to Tell" and featured visual slides dedicated to friends and fellow artists who've succumbed to AIDS over the years, including Keith Haring, Herb Ritts, and Freddie Mercury, while singing "Live to Tell."

John was so moved by the tribute, he penned a joint statement with his Elton John AIDS Foundation on Instagram.

"We're deeply moved by the heartfelt tribute from @madonna during her Celebration Tour performance of ‘Live to Tell’, honouring the 40.4 million people we've lost to AIDS," he wrote.

The post continued:

"Thank you, Madonna, for your advocacy and compassion, and for raising important awareness of the ongoing mission to end AIDS. With 39 million people living with HIV today, 9.4 million of whom are not currently on life-saving treatment, we must keep using our voices and platforms to ensure everyone has the opportunity to live full and healthy lives."

On Saturday's SNL episode hosted by Dear Santa actor Jack Black, John and Brandi Carlile performed "Little Richard's Bible" and "Who Believes in Angels?" from their collaborative studio album Who Believes in Angels?, which was released on April 4, 2025.