Madonna opened her heart and shared one of the most painful and private chapters of her life: when she contemplated taking her own life in the middle of the legal battle for the custody of her son Rocco.

In a recent conversation on British podcast Jay Shetty's On Purpose, the 67-year-old singer confessed that during the intense legal battle for custody of her son Rocco Ritchie, the fruit of her marriage to director Guy Ritchie, she considered suicide.

“There were times in my life when I wanted to cut my arms off. I actually contemplated suicide. I felt like I couldn't bear the pain,” Madonna said.

The conflict with her ex-husband over custody of their son began in 2015 and lasted until 2016, when Rocco, then 15, decided to stay in London with his father, sparking a bitter legal dispute that involved courts in both the United Kingdom and New York.

Madonna said that this moment was one of the most difficult times of her life and that the situation caused her such deep pain that she considered taking her own life.

Amid this emotional turmoil, Madonna had to continue with her commitments and perform every night during her tours. After the shows, the singer said she cried in her dressing room.

“I was on tour at the time, so I had to go on stage every night. I would just lie on the floor of my dressing room, sobbing. I really thought it was the end of the world. I couldn't take it. I just couldn't take it,” the singer said.

Madonna said that the only thing that helped her stay stable in that difficult situation was her spirituality.

The custody battle marked a turning point in Madonna's personal life, where until now she had kept the depth of her suffering at that time private.