Madonna Blames "Thugs" for Rioted Paris Gig

After leaving the stage at the infamous Paris concert venue l'Olympia Thursday night (July 26) after only having played a 45-minute set, which resulted in fans rioting with hateful slurs and demanding their money back, Madonna released a statement affirming that the gig was "very special" and only marred by "a few thugs."

Madonna wrote on her official website Madonna.com: "Playing the Olympia was a magical moment for me and it was real treat to do this special show for my fans and be so close to them."

Tickets to the show, which cost anywhere from 80 to over 280 euros, were only made available to loyal members of Madonna's official fan club, with l'Olympia seating only 2,700. Following Madonna's abrupt leave from the stage, fans gathered in and outside the concert venue, throwing plastic bottles, chanting "remboursez!" (essentially, "we want our money back") and referring to Madonna as "salope," the French word meaning "slut.

In her statement posted on Sunday, Madonna insists that it was not her Paris fans who reacted so negatively after the show, but "thugs" posing as angry fans. She continues with:

"Unfortunately at the end of the show - after I left the stage - a few thugs who were not my fans rushed the stage and started throwing plastic bottles pretending to be angry fans. The press reports have focused on this and not the joyous aspect of the evening."

Madonna closes with: "But nothing can take away or ruin this very special evening for me and my fans. When I looked out in the audience, everyone I saw had a smile on their face. I look forward to having this wonderful experience again."

The Paris incident follows another Madonna controversy in France, when at her July 14 concert at the Stade de France she played a video which featured an image of French right-wing politician Marine Le Pen's face with a swastika emblazoned on it.

Check out Madonna's statement posted on her website here.

Read more on the Paris show here.