The year was 2003—and it was the kiss heard seen around the world.
Yes, we’re referring to the showstopping performance at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards that saw Britney Spears, Madonna and Christina Aguilera hit the stage to sing “Like a Virgin” and “Hollywood,” only to leave viewers talking for years to come when the “Material Girl” singer locked lips with each of her co-performers.
And though Britney and Madonna were the ones who took center stage (thanks to a cutaway shot of Britney’s ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake—with whom she had split a year prior—looking on in the audience), let’s not forget the “Genie in a Bottle” singer’s presence also cemented an iconic moment in pop culture history.
However, despite it becoming quite a huge deal immediately afterward, Madonna simply didn’t see why everyone was so hung up on the PDA.
“I’ve been oblivious until this moment,” she said during an interview on The Oprah Winfrey Show just weeks later. “I had no idea that it was going to cause the ruckus that it caused. It was just a friendly kiss. I don’t know why people are making such a big deal about it.”
