Madonna has been banned from Texas-based theater chain Alamo Drafthouse Cinema after she was seen texting during the New York Film Festival premiere of "12 Years a Slave."
According to reports by the New York Post, Madonna, who was seated alongside the likes of Jason Ritter, J. Alexander and Michael K. Williams, spent part of the screening typing away at her phone. Reportedly one audience member asked her to stop, prompting the "vogue" singer to respond by saying, “It’s for business…enslaver.”
Alamo founder and CEO Tim League tweeted that Madonna would no longer be able to return to the theater until she “apologizes to movie fans.”
Following the tweet, League told Entertainment Weekly that the initial tweet was an “offhand joke, a spur of the moment 140 characters,” but followed up by saying he is going to enforce it now that the word is out. “I’m serious, but I don’t think it really affects her life that much.”
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema has a long-standing, strict no-talking and no-texing policy in it’s movie theaters and has been known to eject audience members who violate the policy. Alamo even features an anti-texting PSA before some of its R-rated movies that contains an actual voice mail left by an angry patron who was kicked out.
Though her business was apparently pressing, the Material Mom was reported to have been a fan of the movie. Directed by British filmmaker Steve McQueen, the film - which follows Solomon Northup, a free black man who was sold into slavery - is already receiving Oscar buzz.
According to The New York Post Madonna made a hasty exit when the credits rolled but returned to the theater when McQueen began Q&A. “I want to hear Steve speak,” a source overheard her say.
Madonna has yet to comment on the banning.
