Madonna Causes A Stir During Cross-Atlantic Flight With Kids

Madonna does things her own way. According to reports out of the UK, that includes following no one’s directions but her own while flying. Madonna and her children were on a flight from New York to London this weekend, and while she sat in first class, her children and friends were behind her in business class. News.com.au reports that Madonna irked cabin crew and passengers by wandering back to chat with her travelling companions – during the safety demonstration.

According to the website, which sources a Sun article, the singer simply ignored staff requests to return to her seat. The Sun headline put it this way: “Prima Madonna: Diva Star a Nuisance at 30,000 feet.” SAFM is a bit more kind, and notes that the music icon eventually listened and complied with requests of the flight crew.

Madonna, her family and entourage went through private security upon arrival, according to the report.

As to why Madonna stayed separate from her kids – in Yahoo! writer Amy Nickell’s words, seating them in “lousy business class” – that is unclear. Lourdes and Rocco may have simply chosen not to sit with their mother, the pop legend may have wanted some quiet time, or as Nickell said, “We take it she’s trying to teach them the value of money and all that – keep them down to earth, you know?”

Or, the family may have experienced something common among global airline passengers: limited available seating. Although the public might assume she had her people arrange for the precise seat numbers the musician requested in advance, her choices might have been limited.

In the past several months, Madonna has made news not for her music but for her behavior. Last fall, she spent much of the New York premiere of 12 Years a Slave on her BlackBerry. When another film attendee asked her to stop, she reportedly snapped back that it was for work. Madonna was banned from the chain of Alamo Drafthouse theaters as a result of the incident.

Madonna turns 56 on August 16, and rose to fame in the mid-1980s. In addition to Lourdes and Rocco, Madonna has two other children, David and Mercy.

The flight may have gotten the singer’s time in London off to a rocky start, since she received a parking ticket in London Saturday night, as reported by the Daily Mail. Madonna was enjoying dinner at the Chiltern Firehouse, a popular spot for celebrities. Although Madonna left through a back exit, her driver received the citation.

[Image: Associated Press]