Madonna, 68, is fiercely defended by The View co-hosts amid 'ageist' VMAs 2026 backlash

Madonna was staunchly defended by co-hosts of The View on Monday morning, following her return to the MTV Video Music Awards stage after 23 years.

Whoopi Goldberg, 70, Alyssa Farah Griffin, 38, Sara Haines, 49, Ana Navarro, 54, and Sunny Hostin, 57, all agreed that Madonna, 68, has been unfairly criticized by 'ageist' social media users amid her comeback performance.

One person commented online, 'Madonna doesn’t know how to hang it up,' while another said, 'I wish I could’ve seen Madonna in her prime! Mama is TIRED and out of breath on this MTV #VMAs stage. And yes, I know she’s almost 70, so I’m not expecting 1985 Madonna, but whew!'

'These women are gorgeous,' Goldberg, 70, said during the episode, also referencing actress Jasmine Guy, 64, who has been ridiculed for her age amid the Netflix reboot of her 80s sitcom A Different World.

Griffin highlighted: 'It shows how there's just no win for women. Madonna’s being criticized for being too overtly sexual and trying to look too young, and Jasmine is being criticized for trying to age gracefully. You can’t win no matter which direction you take.'

Haines added, 'The types of people that are going to go on there and rage post are not the ones in a good mental state,' while Navarro begged, 'Leave women alone. It’s hard. We are in menopause.'

Goldberg began the show's Hot Topics segment by reading Guy's social media caption, which she posted to Instagram on Sunday night.

'The internet can be brutal to women as we grow older. It asks us to celebrate life while criticizing every sign that we’ve lived it.'

'Growing older brings change, and I won’t pretend every change is easy. But beauty, style, and joy don’t have an expiration date. Let’s spend less time judging ourselves and each other, and more time loving each other, making memories, and living the life we’re here to live ❤️,' she wrote.

Hostin posited, 'What’s so sad about all of this that’s going on with women and aging is, what is the alternative?' 

She continued, 'I can’t begin to tell you how many emails I get, almost on a monthly basis, about someone being widowed in my age group, someone having a stroke, someone having a heart attack.'

The former federal prosecutor added, 'How dare you shame someone for trying to age well and beautifully and just live. We need to realize what a blessing it is to be able to get to be that age.'

Madonna opened Sunday night's awards show broadcast in a Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello ensemble - but fans quickly slammed her for making a 'mess' of her performance. 

She donned a black satin trench coat, red bodysuit, and knee-high boots as she performed her hit Bring Your Love with collaborator Sabrina Carpenter, 27.

The pop icon, who was last on the VMAs stage in 2003 when she shockingly kissed Britney Spears, was draped in latex in a steamy visual, accompanied by the statement, 'It's mother!' before dancers contorted themselves on stage – while lasers shot from their crotches.

She kicked off the production with her legs spread while sitting on top of a piano played by Carpenter.

The star stripped off to the bodysuit before she was carried across the stage onto a platform, where a choir chimed in.

Charli XCX then joined for a rendition of their Danceteria Afterhours remix.

The raunchy segment also saw a scantily clad Sombr make a shock cameo by a toilet cubicle, before Madonna was lifted into the air by a hunky dancer.

Fans flocked to social media to accuse Madonna of lip-syncing and share their observation that she was seemingly out of breath.