Madonna cancels final U.S. concert, citing 'indescribable pain': 'I consider myself a warrior'

Madonna has scrapped the final date of her U.S. tour, citing "indescribable" pain that could cause "irreversible damage" to her body.

The announcement came just hours before the scheduled start time, drawing some ire from fans who had traveled to Miami for the performance.

According to the pop star, while climbing an on-stage ladder over the weekend, "I was in tears from the pain of my injuries," she wrote on social media. "With every song I sang, I said a prayer that I would make it to the next and get thru the show. My prayers were answered and I made it."

After the performance, the 61-year-old says she spent several days undergoing scans, ultrasounds and X-rays, suffering "poking and probing and more tears."

Madonna apologized for the cancelation announcement, which may or may not have surprised fans; she's scrapped and postponed several tour dates this year due to her injuries, even leading one aggrieved fan to file a lawsuit against her. His argument is that arriving significantly late is a breach of contract between the performer and the ticket buyer.

Many fans have voiced frustration over the last-minute updates, especially those who've spent hours in arenas waiting for delayed concerts to begin. After beginning her Philadelphia performance two and a half hours late in August, she blamed the start time on technical adjustments: "“I want to apologize for being late. We had many changes to make from Europe to America, and I wanted the show to be perfect for you because my fans deserve it and quite frankly I deserve it," she reportedly told the crowd.

Subsequent cancelations, however, were attributed to injuries, including three Boston performances that she backed out of due to "overwhelming pain."

Madonna plans to continue the next leg of her tour in January 2020.

"I consider myself a warrior," she said in her Instagram post this week. "I never quit, I never give in, I never give up!! However this time I have to listen to my body and accept that my pain is a warning."