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Madonna is in the full force of her Celebration Tour, and Monday marked her third and final stop at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The 65-year-old legend has invited various celebrities to join her on stage, and last night, she surprised Kelly Ripa.
Ripa was there with her husband, Mark Consuelos, Demi Moore, Anderson Cooper, and Andy Cohen, who watched the magic happen. “I’ve had a 40-year relationship with Madonna — in my mind, to be clear. But last night, something happened that I can’t really put into words,” she quipped on Live with Kelly and Mark.
Ripa and the rest of the “groupie posse” were enjoying the show when she was told by staff she would be getting on stage. “They’re like, ‘You’re going to go on stage with Madonna.’ And at that point, I, Kelly Ripa, died,” she recounted. “And so the ghost of Kelly is now walking over. And I’m hearing words, and they’re not really making sense.”
They went on to show the footage that she said she didn’t remember because of how wild the moment was. Ripa was pulled up on stage, handed cue cards, and sat next to Madonna to judge the backup dancers’ vogueing skills, inspired by her 1990 song, “Vogue.” One of the dancers was Madonna’s daughter Esther. Ripa also threw a football.
It’s not the first time Ripa has had an epic moment at Madonna’s show. On October 8, 2008, during the Sticky and Sweet tour at Madison Square Garden, the Queen of Pop handed her the mic from the stage to sing along to the last song.
They’ve also shared special milestones, with Madonna meeting her and Consuelos’ son Joaquin in 2003. She shared a photo of the iconic memory in 2021 for the “Live a Virgin” singer’s 63rd birthday.