Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Instagram
 

Did ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic and Madonna Really Have a Romantic Relationship?

Photo Credit: Paul Natkin/ Getty Images and Dave Hogan/ Getty Images
Photo Credit: Paul Natkin/ Getty Images and Dave Hogan/ Getty Images

The 2022 movie Weird: The Al Yankovic Story – part biography, part parody – has brought a new light to the life of performer “Weird Al” Yankovic, best known for his accordion playing and his comedy songs. The movie has raised questions among viewers about certain parts of Weird Al’s life – namely whether or not he had a relationship with Madonna as is portrayed in the film.

THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR WEIRD: THE AL YANKOVIC STORY

‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story’

Weird Al’s new film, although based on his life, is more meant to be a satirical take that Vanity Fair called an “exceedingly strange absurdist parody of a rock-and-roll biopic.” Despite this, it has generally been well received by both critics and audiences for its exceptional humor and for the fantastic performance given by former Harry Potter star, Daniel Radcliffe, who played Weird Al.

Movie still of Daniel Radcliffe as Weird Al with an open Hawaiian shirt, red pants and disks hanging from his neck, and Quinta Brunson as Oprah Winfrey in a brown dress.
Movie still from Weird: The Al Yankovic Story of Weird Al and Oprah Winfrey, played by Daniel Radcliffe and Quinta Brunson. (Photo Credit: yassi/ The Roku Channel/ MovieStillsDB)

Although he didn’t star in the film, Weird Al co-wrote the script with director Eric Appel, and re-recorded many of his songs for the project. He also wrote an original song, “Now You Know,” just for the movie. These recordings were used to replace Radcliffe’s voice, although the actor did really sing while they were taping because he found it too difficult to properly lip sync the words. He also had to learn some of the basics of accordion playing – with tutorials from Weird Al himself, of course.

Weird Al and Madonna?

If you’ve seen the movie, you know that there are a number of interesting people and situations included. One of these is Weird Al’s relationship with the iconic singer Madonna. It was apparent just from the film’s trailer that the pair were some form of couple, as they were shown kissing. So was Weird Al Yankovic really in a relationship with Madonna?

The answer is no. Despite how it’s featured throughout most of Weird, Yankovic confessed in an interview with Jimmy Fallon that they have never been involved. “Our relationship is platonic, by the way,” he said. “The only time I actually met her was in 1985. I talked to her for maybe like, 45 seconds backstage.” She was, however, allegedly the one to come up with the idea for “Like a Surgeon” when she suggested it to a friend. The idea made it back to Weird Al and he followed through with it.

Setting the record straight

As disappointed as some viewers may be to find out that Weird Al and Madonna were never in a relationship, this is certainly not the only element of his life that the movie embellished. For example, cartel leader Pablo Escobar was not a Weird Al superfan – that we know of, that is. Weird Al certainly didn’t murder the drug lord or get killed in return while onstage in 1985.

Weird Al in a Hawaiian shirt, posing with various different foods.
Portrait of American musician, parodist, and comedian Weird Al Yankovic as he poses with various food items during a photo shoot, March 20, 1984. (Photo Credit: Bob Riha, Jr./ Getty Images)

This is all entirely fictitious. Despite all of the embellishments, there is some truth to Weird. It’s true that his interest in the accordion was sparked by a door-to-door salesman who visited his family home.

More from us: Before She Became Famous, Madonna Got Fired From Dunkin’ Donuts for Doing This

Weird Al’s first accordion lesson happened the day before his seventh birthday. Who could have known what this would lead to?

Rosemary Giles

Rosemary Giles is a history content writer with Hive Media. She received both her bachelor of arts degree in history, and her master of arts degree in history from Western University. Her research focused on military, environmental, and Canadian history with a specific focus on the Second World War. As a student, she worked in a variety of research positions, including as an archivist. She also worked as a teaching assistant in the History Department.

Since completing her degrees, she has decided to take a step back from academia to focus her career on writing and sharing history in a more accessible way. With a passion for historical learning and historical education, her writing interests include social history, and war history, especially researching obscure facts about the Second World War. In her spare time, Rosemary enjoys spending time with her partner, her cats, and her horse, or sitting down to read a good book.

linkedin.com/in/rosemary-giles