Being the daughter of Madonna has its perks – or does it? Lourdes Leon said she paid for her college tuition as a way to put some much-needed distance between her and her ‘control freak’ mother.
“We don’t get any handouts in my family,” Lourdes Leon said while speaking with Debi Mazar for Interview magazine, after Debi, 57, brought up how Lourdes, 25, shelled out the cash for her college tuition and apartment. “Obviously, I grew up with extreme privilege. There’s no denying that. But I think my mom [Madonna] saw all these other kids of famous people, and she was like, ‘My kids are not going to be like this.’ Also, I feel like if your parents pay for things, then it gives them leverage over you.” My mom is such a control freak, and she has controlled me my whole life. I needed to be completely independent from her as soon as I graduated high school.”
Despite Lourdes calling her mother a “control freak,” she seemed very appreciative of her upbringing, and shared a piece of advice that Madonna, 63, gave her. “She said something to me recently that has really stuck with me. I’ve been so concerned with making a decent living, and wanting to live more luxuriously than I was when I first graduated and wasn’t earning a lot of money,” said Lourdes. “[Madonna] was like, ‘Remember, this shit is not real. It’s not about the money or your face or how hot you look. It’s about what you’re bringing into the world and what you’re going to leave behind.’ That always shakes me awake when I get too caught up in everything.”
Madonna also gave her daughter some advice when Lourdes began her modeling career. “She’s very much like, ‘Proceed with caution and think about what you want to be known for.’ I’ve thought a lot about that recently, because as a ‘model,’ you’re basically relying on your looks,” said Lourdes. “My mom is very insistent on making me think about what I want to be known for beyond my looks. That’s not what I want people to remember me by. It’s not real.”
Lourdes also reflected on her debut at the Met Gala. She attended the fashion extravaganza for the first time in September and found herself feeling awkward and out of place. “You’re just shoved into a room with all these famous people, and you’re supposed to talk to them and be their friend, even though you don’t f-cking know them. That’s not my vibe.”
