Madonna’s last social media post before she was struck down with a “severe bacterial infection” has garnered attention as it appeared to foreshadow her illness.
The singer, 64, was reportedly found unconscious in New York on Saturday, before being taken to hospital where she spent several days in ICU.
But before taking ill, the pop icon recently gave fans an insight into the gruelling perparations for her now-postponed Celebration world tour, which was expected to start in Vancouver, Canada on July 15.
Her most recent Instagram, which she posted on June 20, showed a series of backstage photos as she rehearsed with her team.
In one image, the singer is pictured sprawled across the stage after working her way through one of her choreographed routines, while others pics show her seated at the piano or conversing with members of her entourage.
Captioning the post, she wrote: “The calm before the storm...”
Madonna’s family have revealed they feared they would “lose her” this week after she was rushed into intensive care after developing a bacterial infection.
The star and mother-of-six is expected to make a full recovery, but has been forced to “pause” her upcoming 40th anniversary tour which was due to start next month, her manager said.
A relative told MailOnline: “For the past couple of days, no one really knew which direction this was going to turn, and her family was preparing for the worst.
“That is why it was kept a secret since Saturday. Everyone believed that we may lose her and that has been the reality of the situation.”
They added that the health scare has served as a wake-up call for the singer, saying Madonna “believes that she is invincible” and “has been wearing herself thin over the past couple of months”.
Madonna has postponed her forthcoming “Celebration” tour, which had been scheduled to launch in Vancouver on July 15, and included four sell-out nights at London’s O2 Arena in October.
In a statement on Instagram on Wednesday, her manager Guy Oseary wrote: “On Saturday, June 24, Madonna developed a serious bacterial infection which led to a several-day stay in the ICU.
“Her health is improving, however she is still under medical care. A full recovery is expected. At this time we will need to pause all commitments, which includes the tour.
“We will share more details with you as soon as we have them, including a new start date for the tour and for rescheduled shows.”
The popstar had been preparing for her first ever greatest hits tour to celebrate the 40th anniversary of her breakout single, Holiday.
Organisers said “Madonna: The Celebration Tour” will take fans on her “artistic journey through four decades and pays respect to the city of New York where her career in music began”.
The tour had been due to begin in Europe following a spate of North America dates, finishing in Amsterdam on December 1.
It is Madonna’s 12th concert tour.
The only UK date of the Celebration tour announced so far is on October 14 at the O2 Arena, though it is unclear if the date will be affected.
Madonna is the best-selling female artist in history, with around 335 million records sold.
