Madonna: Not happy about M.I.A.'s gesture

[February 11, 2012]  NEW YORK (AP) -- The British hip-hop artist M.I.A. has apologized to Madonna for making an obscene gesture during the Super Bowl halftime show.

Madonna said in radio interviews on Friday that she had no idea M.I.A. would extend her middle finger during the performance in front of 114 million people, according to Madonna's spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg. The singer didn't find out about it until after the show.

"I wasn't happy about it," Madonna told Ryan Seacrest in one interview. "I understand it's kind of punk rock and everything, but to me there was such a feeling of love and good energy and positivity, it seemed negative."

She said it was like something a teenager would do.

"It seemed out of place," she said.

Madonna forgave her, and thought M.I.A. just got caught up in the moment, Rosenberg said. Madonna said she remains a fan of the "Paper Planes" rapper and said she doesn't want it to spoil what was one of the biggest moments in Madonna's life.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.