Madonna 'comes out' in viral TikTok video - dividing fans in the process

Madonna appears to come out as gay on TikTok in a post featuring the star and a large pair of knickers. The star is yet to confirm whether she is gay or not, but as some argue she's been openly queer for decades - many are slightly confused.

Coming out is a huge deal for those who do, whether they're an A-lister or not. Fans have grown used to learning about things like Madonna's new hair color and Madonna's new look via her social media. The star, who has never shied away from controversy and sexuality, often shares provocative videos much to the delight of her adoring fans.

This time around, as it appears that Madonna comes out on TikTok, the star is seen throwing a large pair of pink underpants into a trash can with, "If I miss, I’m gay," emblazoned across the video. As she misses, she waves her hand in a 'whatever' type of gesture and goes about her day - having seemingly just shared a whole new part of her life. 

After the news dropped, it turns out that not everyone was that surprised. Responding to the star's apparent revelation, one fan tweeted, "Literally everyone freaking that that Madonna has come out as being gay. She's been literally bisexual before I was even born has she not???" 

After all, during a 1991 interview with The Advocate, the star said that she thinks, "everybody has a bisexual nature," and she's always been involved with the LGBTQ+ community as an advocate and ally. 

Some fans believe that the revelation comes from a slightly more attention-grabbing angle. "Madonna has always hinted that she is gay/bi, so this is not new information!" tweeted one fan. "She's just decided to remind us all again in case we had forgotten, cause she thinks it'll bring her more likes and make her more credible." Another fan even went so far as to tweet, "not her queerbaiting…" 

For those not in the know, queerbaiting is, "a marketing tactic that nods at queerness but never actually delivers queerness." Ricky Hill, PhD, a research assistant professor at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, told Health explained it's largely in reference to TV shows and movies. However, Ricky explained that it's also seen through plots, characters, imagery, lyrics, social media posts, and interview answers. "A director, author, writer, or producer will draw in LGBTQ+ people with the promise that there's going to be positive queer representation (the bait), but then they never fulfill that representation (the switch)."

The majority of her fans appear to be showing their full support, with one enthusiastically tweeting, "I did not expect to wake up and find out that Madonna is gay like this but SLAY."