New York City in the late seventies was a different beast altogether. It was gritty, loud, and smelled like a mix of diesel fumes and expensive perfume. In the middle of that chaos, a teenager named Debi Mazar was working the elevator at Danceteria. She was barely out of her childhood, yet she was already the gatekeeper of the underground. One night, a girl from Michigan with a lot of ambition and a "raw sexuality" stepped into that elevator.
She asked Mazar if she wanted to dance. They parked the elevator, hit the floor, and basically started a friendship that has lasted over four decades. That girl, of course, was Madonna.
Debi Mazar and Madonna: More Than Just Famous Friends
People love to talk about celebrity "squads," but what Debi Mazar and Madonna have is something much more primal. It’s a "ride or die" bond forged in the trenches of the Lower East Side before the world knew their names. Back then, Madonna wasn't the Queen of Pop; she was just a singer with a dream who told Mazar, "I’m going to be a star."
Mazar’s response? "That’s cool."
Honestly, that nonchalance defines their entire dynamic. While the rest of the world treats Madonna like a deity or a lightning rod for controversy, Mazar treats her like a sister. She’s seen the births, the deaths, the marriages, and the reinventions.
The Beauty Behind the Icon
Most fans don’t realize that Mazar wasn't just a "friend" in the early days—she was the architect of the Look. She was a professional makeup artist long before she was an actress in Goodfellas or Younger.
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- She did the makeup for the "Everybody" video.
- She worked on "Holiday."
- She famously spent years trying to pluck Madonna’s "caterpillar" eyebrows into thin 80s arches.
In a 2013 interview with The Cut, Mazar reminisced about those eyebrows. Looking back, she admitted she probably wouldn’t touch them now, but in the eighties, thin was in. That’s the kind of honesty you only get from a real friend. Mazar wasn't there to flatter her; she was there to make her look like the star she claimed she would be.
Why Their Bond Survived the Fame Machine
Hollywood is littered with the corpses of dead friendships. Success usually poisons the well. But Debi Mazar and Madonna managed to navigate the transition from club kids to global icons without losing their connection.
Why? Because they fought.
Mazar has been open about the fact that they are both Leos. That means big egos and fiery tempers. In a quick-fire interview, she once mentioned they'd had "many" fights over the years. They’re stormy. They’re passionate. But they always come back to the center.
There’s also a level of shared history that nobody else can touch. When Madonna was hospitalized in 2023 for a serious bacterial infection, Mazar was one of the few people providing actual, grounded updates to the fans. She called her the "strongest gal I know" and a "warrior." That wasn't a PR statement; it was a sister checking in on her family.
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The Videos That Defined an Era
If you want to see their friendship in action, you don’t look at paparazzi photos. You look at the music videos. Mazar is a recurring character in the Madonna cinematic universe.
- True Blue (1986): Mazar is right there, dancing alongside Erika Belle. They look like they’re having the time of their lives because they actually were.
- Papa Don't Preach: She’s part of the girl gang, the urban support system.
- Justify My Love: A darker, more avant-garde collaboration.
- Deeper and Deeper: A 70s disco throwback where their natural chemistry shines.
- Music (2000): By the time they did the limo scene for "Music," they were both mothers. They were still partying, but the context had changed.
Life in Italy and the Celebration Tour
Fast forward to the 2020s. Mazar moved to Italy full-time with her husband, chef Gabriele Corcos. Some might think moving across the ocean would end the friendship. Madonna even joked on stage in Milan that Mazar "deserted" her for "some Italian dude."
But when the Celebration Tour hit Italy in late 2023, there was only one person who could sit in the judge's chair during "Vogue."
Mazar joined her on stage, holding up scorecards while dancers performed. It was a full-circle moment. Forty years after meeting in a New York elevator, they were together in Milan, celebrating a journey that Mazar described as "decades of dance, music, creativity, travel, friendships, deaths, births, re-birth."
The "Stolen" Boyfriend Incident
You can’t talk about these two without mentioning the Puerto Rican graffiti artist named Randy. In a hilarious moment on Watch What Happens Live, Mazar admitted that Madonna once "tried" to steal her boyfriend back in the day.
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Did it break them? No.
Mazar just laughed it off. That’s the level of security you have when you’ve been through the ringer together. They’ve shared everything from makeup brushes to dance floors, and apparently, even a bit of romantic competition.
The Takeaway for the Rest of Us
The story of Debi Mazar and Madonna isn't just a piece of celebrity trivia. It’s actually a pretty profound lesson in loyalty. In a world that is increasingly digital and transactional, they represent the "old school" New York value of staying true to your people.
If you want to cultivate a friendship that lasts forty years, you have to be willing to:
- Be honest: Tell them when their eyebrows need work.
- Show up: Be there for the music videos and the hospital stays.
- Forgive: Don't let a "stormy" Leo argument end a decade-long bond.
- Evolve: Support each other as you move from "club kids" to "mothers" to "legends."
If you’re looking to dive deeper into this era of New York history, check out Mazar’s social media—she’s a goldmine for rare throwback photos that haven't been scrubbed by a corporate team. Or, better yet, revisit the True Blue video. Watch the way they look at each other. That isn't acting. That’s just two girls from the elevator having a blast.
To see more of their history together, look into the early photography of Alberto Tolot or the club photography of the Danceteria era, which captures the raw, unpolished beginnings of this iconic duo. Stay updated on Mazar’s latest projects, including her work in European cinema, which continues to be influenced by the "warrior" spirit she and Madonna shared in their youth.
Actionable Insight: Look through your own long-term friendships. Identify the "ride or die" person who knew you before your "success." Make a conscious effort to reach out this week—not for a favor, but just to "dance," even if it’s just over a phone call. Consistency is the only thing that keeps a bond from becoming a memory.