Madonna will not be shown on a cross during NBC special

After weeks of controversy, NBC has decided not to show pop star Madonna suspended from a giant cross and wearing a crown of thorns when the network airs a special of her Confessions tour, a source close to the organization of the event said on Thursday.

The source spoke after NBC announced it had revised the two-hour concert special, which airs November 22, but did not elaborate on what changes would be made.

The source said the portion of the "Live to Tell" song, in which Madonna sings suspended from a giant cross and wears a crown of thorns, will not be shown in the broadcast. Instead, cameras will cut to other shots or images while Madonna is on the cross. She steps away from the cross to finish the song.

The special was filmed during her performance at Wembley Stadium in London during her Confessions tour

Madonna, who is an executive producer of the special, initially insisted that her appearance on the cross, which had been a controversial centerpiece of her stage performance, be included in the NBC special.

But after complaints from Christian groups, a number of NBC affiliate stations expressed uneasiness to the network about carrying the broadcast if it included Madonna singing from the cross.

Madonna, who has been making headlines over her efforts to adopt a Malawi orphan, has defended her mock crucifixion scene, saying it was not meant to be "anti-Christian, sacrilegious, or blasphemous."

A spokeswoman for the pop star could not immediately be reached for comment.

(Reuters)

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