Prince Couldn't Stand Madonna. Here's Why
Prince wrote his iconic banger "When Doves Cry" about a plummeting relationship that sputters out into mutual dissatisfaction and inescapable unrest, according to Song Meanings and Facts. It's widely believed that the song was inspired by his failed relationship with fellow musician/songwriter Susan Moonsie whom he dated from 1980 to 1985. It's par for the course that things should end poorly from time to time, and proverbial doves will inevitably shed tears when harmony and romance are usurped by glum disappointment and failed expectations. Perhaps Prince should have written a follow-up song to "Doves" about his failed relationship with legendary pop star Madonna years later. If he had, he probably would have named it "When Doves Want To Rip Each Other Apart," or something similar.
If you're a fan of Prince or Madonna or both, you might already know that the two superstars had some serious residual contempt for one another following their failed courtship in the 1980s, and they made no public effort to hide it. Granted, much of it turned out to be relatively harmless banter and jests back and forth after the fact, but certain statements made by the musicians themselves and anecdotes from close friends who bore witness to their rapturous romance reflect a deep-seated animosity that was very much present once upon a time (via Rolling Stone).
Madonna once ruined a dinner date
You could easily argue that Prince and Madonna were perhaps the biggest musical stars of the 1980s, so a romantic team-up between the two seemed almost too perfect for words. However, as most of us know, perfection is hardly a reality, and the absence of perfection is a dish more often than not served cold. Cat Glover, one of the "Purple Rain" singer's close friends and long time back up dancers, recalled an instance in which Prince organized an intimate dinner date at his own home in order to surprise Madonna. However, she was hardly charmed by the scene and apparently started complaining right off the bat (per GQ).
"I just remember Madonna complaining a lot," Glover explained. "She said it was too cold in Minneapolis and she was ready to go home. That night she was supposed to have a special party. It was all set up for her to have a party, and she just left."
Madonna mocked Prince's height
After Prince elected to end their relationship, Madonna resorted to some low blows by means of retaliation — by that, we mean she went after his height (per Far Out). Despite his towering presence in the world of music, the rock god was reputably very short, standing at a mere 5 feet 2 inches according to Heightline. Still, one might call it a rule of thumb: Just as you should never make a remark upon a woman's weight, you should never ridicule a man for his height.
Observers remember the exchange vividly. Apparently, after delivering the death blow to their problematic love affair, Prince turned to walk away. Madonna shouted after him, "How dare you dump me, don't you know who I am?" She then proceeded to maliciously pick apart his height, peckish eating habits, and other behaviors that she found utterly detestable. In years to follow, the two would make not-so-subtle jabs at one another before the watchful eyes and attentive ears of their fans. Rolling Stone recounts a story from 2007 when, while on stage before thousands of screaming fans in London, Prince exclaimed: "I got so many hits y'all can't handle me. I got more hits than Madonna's got kids."
Prince and Madonna found peace years later
The list of unsavory remarks and scathing gestures between Prince and Madonna over the years goes on and on, but the two were eventually able to establish a sort of cease fire agreement after enough time. In fact, they were more or less still freshly broken up when, in 1989, Prince teamed up with his ex-lover for a duet ("Love Song") on her "Like a Virgin" album, as Far Out reports. All's well that ends well, right?
In 2016, Madonna paid homage to Prince alongside Stevie Wonder in a captivating tribute performance at the Billboard Music Awards following his tragic death. After receiving the news of his untimely passing, she tweeted from her personal account, "He Changed The World. What a loss. I'm Devastated. This is Not A Love Song," alongside an old photo of her and the dearly departed rock legend (via Morning Sun).