Madonna has congratulated Pepsi for showing an advertisement that has been prohibited for more than three decades.
Pepsi made a $5 million (£4 million) contract with the pop artist in 1989, which saw her song Like A Prayer featured in a Pepsi TV commercial.
However, the song’s official music video was published the day following its premiere, causing widespread indignation, notably among Christian institutions such as the Vatican.
Pepsi quickly withdrew the commercial.
To commemorate the company’s 125th anniversary, the promo has been recreated and shown again at the MTV Video Music Awards on Tuesday night.
The Queen of Pop, 65, also expressed her opinion on the resurfacing of the once-controversial video.
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Posting the clip on social media, she wrote: ‘34 years ago I made a commercial with Pepsi to celebrate the release of my song Like a Prayer.
‘The commercial was immediately cancelled when I refused to change any scenes in the video where I was kissing a black saint or burning crosses.
‘So began my illustrious career as an artist refusing to compromise my artistic integrity.’
She added: ‘Thank you Pepsi for finally realising the genius of our collaboration. Artists are here to disturb the peace.’
Pepsi & Madonna’s advertisement debuted during the 31st Annual Grammy Awards in February 1989, showing her returning to her youth and drinking a can of the drink while watching her younger self celebrate her birthday.
Meanwhile, the music video for Like A Prayer featured the artist dancing in lingerie among iconography that many Christians consider obscene, such as the stigmata, saint prayer cards, and crosses.
Pope John Paul II criticised Madonna at the time for combining sacred symbols alongside carnal images.
The re-release of the commercial coincides with Madonna’s preparations for her 40th anniversary Celebration tour, which was forced to be postponed when she was found unconscious earlier this year.
She is claimed to have began rehearsals two weeks ago, with a source telling The Mirror she was taking things ‘at a slower pace’.
Source My Celebrity Life.
