MIDTOWN, Manhattan (WABC) -- Madonna said that she was neither asked nor intended to do a tribute to the late Aretha Franklin at the MTV Video Music Awards on Monday night.
The pop star was scorched online for telling a lengthy story about Franklin that had more to do with herself than the Queen of Soul, who died last week.
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Madonna's story was about singing a song popularized by Franklin during an audition but included much more about her own career.
In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Madonna said that instead of preparing a tribute to Aretha Franklin, she was asked to present the Video of the Year Award and share any anecdotes she had in her career that were connected to Franklin.
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She wrote that she could never do Franklin justice with a tribute amid the noise and tinsel of an award show.
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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Madonna presents a tribute to Aretha Franklin at the MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on Monday, Aug. 20, 2018, in New York. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)