Madonna responds to Aretha Franklin VMA backlash: "I did not intend to do a tribute to her!"

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Madonna was accused of everything from cultural appropriation for wearing traditional African garb to making her tribute to The Queen of Soul all about herself during her six-minute speech at last night's MTV VMAs. Madonna responded to the backlash on Instagram this morning, saying she wasn't supposed to do a tribute in the first place. "Just to clarify: I was asked to present video of the year by MTV!" she wrote. "And then they asked me to share any anecdotes I had in my career connected to Aretha Franklin! I shared a part of my journey and thanked Aretha for inspiring me along the way. I did not intend to do a tribute to her! That would be impossible in 2 minutes with all the noise and tinsel of an award show. I could never do her justice in this context or environment. Unfortunately most people have short attention spans, and are so quick to judge. I love Aretha! R.E.S.P.E.C.T."

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