Another person praised her longevity, adding:
“Madonna doing all this at 68 is literally legendary.”
However, as clips from the performance began circulating online, another detail started attracting almost as much attention as the performance itself.
Some viewers became focused on the unusual shape of Madonna’s costume around her waist, hips, and trousers.
Screenshots and short clips were quickly shared across social media as users attempted to figure out what they were seeing beneath or inside the outfit.
One person on X asked:
“It looks like her [backside] is stuffed with something. Do you all see it?”
That question soon triggered a flood of speculation.
Another user wrote:
“With all due respect… why doesnt madonna remove the buttcheeks implants??”
Others suggested there might be a much simpler explanation.
One person asked:
“Isn’t it a diaper?”
Another viewer similarly questioned:
“Is Madonna wearing a diaper?”
As more footage from the broadcast was shared, the online theories became increasingly blunt.
One viewer claimed:
“Pretty sure I saw something fall out the front.”
Another social media user offered several possibilities at once, writing:
“It’s either a very bad Brazilian Butt lift, she has butt pads stuffed in her shorts, or her Depends is full.”
Someone else added:
“I can’t be the only one seeing what’s going on with Madonna BBL.”
The comments reflected viewers’ speculation based on Madonna’s costume and appearance during the performance, rather than any confirmed information about cosmetic procedures or what she may have been wearing underneath the outfit.
By the end of the ceremony, however, Madonna had much more to celebrate than simply returning to the VMAs stage.
The pop icon added several new honors to her already extensive collection.
Madonna won Artist of the Year and also took home Best Collaboration for “Bring Your Love.”
Her visual project, “Confessions II – The Film,” also received several awards throughout the evening, including Best Dance, Best Album, Best Long Form Video, Best Choreography, and Best Cinematography.
But one of Madonna’s own comments later in the evening unexpectedly added another layer to the online discussion about her costume.
While accepting the award for Best Dance Album, Madonna reached into her outfit and pulled out what appeared to be a practical lighting prop that she had apparently been carrying with her.
She immediately turned the moment into a joke.
“First of all, I just want to get this thing out of my a**.”
The audience reacted as Madonna continued:
“It’s been in here all night. Now I can party in a park.”
The joke quickly gained attention because viewers had already spent much of the evening questioning the unusual silhouette of her outfit.
Still, Madonna did not directly confirm the various theories circulating on social media about her appearance.
Instead, the night ultimately became another reminder of her ability to dominate the conversation at an awards show she has been closely associated with for decades.
From her long-awaited return to the stage and collaboration with Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX to her multiple wins and the unexpected costume discussion, Madonna managed to become one of the central figures of the evening.
Even at 68, the pop superstar proved she could still create exactly the kind of VMAs moment that leaves viewers talking long after the final performance ends.