Madonna has recalled being “constantly” kicked out of sublet homes during her early years in New York City before her music career took off.
The Queen of Pop has reflected on 1982, when she had no permanent home and moved between apartments, sublets, and informal living arrangements, often being forced to leave and start over again.
“I had no money. I was really a scavenger,” she said in a conversation with Interview Magazine. “I lived, I surfed. I lived in people’s apartments. They would let me come and stay for a few months, then I would sublet someplace for six months, then I would move again. I was constantly getting kicked out.”
Madonna also revealed that, in addition to couch surfing, she also lived in “illegal” buildings in the Garment District.
“I surfed around all those buildings, because people were making clothes and creating fabrics and designing on them and painting on them,” she shared. “A lot of people had lofts in these buildings, so they ended up living there illegally, and they rented out rooms.”
The Like a Virgin singer also noted that she frequently had to relocate to avoid living with people who made her uncomfortable.
“If there was a weirdo living on one floor, I’d go to the next floor,” she stated. “If there was a guy making porno films who wanted me to be in them and was constantly knocking on my door and freaking me out, I would be like, ‘I gotta go (to another floor).'”
