Death threats against actress and singer Madonna were sparked by her portrayal of Argentine revolutionary leader Eva Perón in the 1996 film "Evita." Thirty years ago this week, fans who revered Perón as a national hero vehemently opposed Madonna's casting, fearing she would disrespect the memory of Eva Perón.
The controversy was fueled by some ardent supporters, including Clara Marin, who claimed that she wanted Madonna dead or alive and threatened to kill her if she didn't leave Argentina. Freddy DeMann, Madonna's manager, grew so concerned about the threats that he considered taking drastic action. Meanwhile, a congressman in Argentina wanted to introduce legislation declaring Madonna and other filmmakers involved with the movie personas non grata, essentially making them unwelcome.
However, producers and authorities were not intimidated by these threats. Instead, they stepped up security measures for Madonna and her team during their time in Buenos Aires filming "Evita." Despite concerns about potential harassment or even violence against Madonna, police focused more on protecting her from egg-throwing or verbal abuse rather than physical harm.
Madonna took a nuanced approach to understanding the complexities of Perón's legacy. While she met with Argentine fans and worked with elderly women who had connections to Eva Perón, she didn't publicly respond to or address the death threats during press conferences.
Conversely, Madonna's fans rallied in her support. A contingent of 62% of Argentines believed that Madonna was suitable for the role, saying she should have been allowed to portray Eva Perón due to her artistic talent and freedom of expression. Sandra Matos, a fan who attended one of these rallies, said: "If that lady is a Peronista and does what Evita would have done, then she should love her neighbors, and follow the example of a good woman instead of threatening Madonna."
In contrast, there were reports of raucous demonstrations and vandalism at theaters in Argentina, but ticket sales were surprisingly average. The film eventually became successful worldwide, earning several awards for its music and performance, particularly "You Must Love Me," which won an Oscar.
Madonna's portrayal of Eva Perón sparked a mix of emotions in the public. Despite concerns about respect for her legacy, Madonna's artistic vision and commitment to the project helped bridge some of these divisions and fostered a more inclusive atmosphere.
The controversy was fueled by some ardent supporters, including Clara Marin, who claimed that she wanted Madonna dead or alive and threatened to kill her if she didn't leave Argentina. Freddy DeMann, Madonna's manager, grew so concerned about the threats that he considered taking drastic action. Meanwhile, a congressman in Argentina wanted to introduce legislation declaring Madonna and other filmmakers involved with the movie personas non grata, essentially making them unwelcome.
However, producers and authorities were not intimidated by these threats. Instead, they stepped up security measures for Madonna and her team during their time in Buenos Aires filming "Evita." Despite concerns about potential harassment or even violence against Madonna, police focused more on protecting her from egg-throwing or verbal abuse rather than physical harm.
Madonna took a nuanced approach to understanding the complexities of Perón's legacy. While she met with Argentine fans and worked with elderly women who had connections to Eva Perón, she didn't publicly respond to or address the death threats during press conferences.
Conversely, Madonna's fans rallied in her support. A contingent of 62% of Argentines believed that Madonna was suitable for the role, saying she should have been allowed to portray Eva Perón due to her artistic talent and freedom of expression. Sandra Matos, a fan who attended one of these rallies, said: "If that lady is a Peronista and does what Evita would have done, then she should love her neighbors, and follow the example of a good woman instead of threatening Madonna."
In contrast, there were reports of raucous demonstrations and vandalism at theaters in Argentina, but ticket sales were surprisingly average. The film eventually became successful worldwide, earning several awards for its music and performance, particularly "You Must Love Me," which won an Oscar.
Madonna's portrayal of Eva Perón sparked a mix of emotions in the public. Despite concerns about respect for her legacy, Madonna's artistic vision and commitment to the project helped bridge some of these divisions and fostered a more inclusive atmosphere.
Can you even believe it's been 30 years since all that drama went down? Like, I'm still low-key impressed by how calm and collected Madonna was about the whole thing 
. The haters were really bringing out the big guns with those death threats 
, but she just took a step back, did her own research, and nailed the role anyway 
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. I mean, it's clear that not everyone was on board with the whole thing, but Madonna didn't let it get to her. She even met with Perón's supporters and worked with them, which shows she was willing to listen and learn 
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, but it seems like history has somewhat watered down the whole thing now 
. What do you guys think about the way Madonna handled that situation?
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. And her fans were super supportive too! It's crazy to see how divided people were back then, but in the end, Evita ended up being a really positive force.
. Can't believe they're still clogging up my feeds with outdated articles about old Madonna drama 
. All I see are endless debates about whether or not Madonna was "disrespectful" to Eva's memory... Like, can't you guys just have a civil convo without resorting to name-calling and all caps? 
It's like they're trying to troll each other on purpose 
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. Maybe one day I'll get around to watching it with my kid... and see what all the fuss is about! 
Like, who knew Eva Perón's memory would spark such strong emotions? 
From death threats to protests outside theaters...it was a wild ride 
And let's be real, her performance as Eva Perón was epic 
It just goes to show that there are always multiple perspectives and opinions on art, and sometimes it takes a brave artist like Madonna to spark those conversations 
But what really caught my attention is that even with all these crazy threats and drama, security just stepped up to protect Madonna instead of taking drastic action. Like, I get why they'd want to keep her safe, but it's also kinda interesting how the cops were more worried about people throwing eggs or being loud than actually hurting her 
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It's like, we should always respect people's opinions, even if they're different from ours... unless someone is being super toxic or hate-y, lol 
I'm low-key fascinated by how the situation played out! The fact that fans were so divided about her casting is wild 
That's some real strength right there 
. On a lighter note, I'm loving that 62% of Argentines supported her casting - same, tbh 
. What do you guys think went down in Argentina during that time? Was it just a bunch of haters or was there more to it? 
. I can understand why some fans were upset, but death threats? That's just crazy