Madonna Celebrates Release of Canceled Pepsi Commercial 34 Years After ‘Like a Prayer’ Controversy

Madonna thanked Pepsi for “finally realizing the genius of our collaboration” after the ad aired at the 2023 MTV VMAs

Madonna is celebrating the release of her canceled Pepsi commercial — 34 years after it was banned. 

The singer, 65, worked with the soda maker on a 1989 video that featured her hit song “Like a Prayer” as part of a $5 million endorsement deal.

The day after the commercial aired, however, the full-length music video for the song also dropped on MTV and sparked a major stir among religious groups over its imagery of burning crosses and the seduction of a saint. At one point it was even condemned by the Vatican.

Despite the original two-minute commercial reaching an estimated 250 million viewers in over 40 countries, this ultimately prompted Pepsi to pull the commercial in April 1989 and cancel its sponsorship contract with Madonna.

On Tuesday the commercial returned, however, when it was aired at the 2023 MTV VMAs to commemorate Pepsi’s 125th anniversary.