Cyndi Lauper ‘Didn’t Think Madonna Liked Her’ During ‘Rivalry’

Cyndi Lauper doesn’t think Madonna “liked” her when they both rose to fame.

The “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” singer reflected on the way she and the “Like a Prayer” singer, who both released their debut albums in 1983, were pitted against each other when they were starting out, and admitted she thought it was a “sad” state of affairs.

She told E! News: “Isn’t that sad, there can only be room for one? I didn’t like it.”

Asked if she ever told Madonna how she felt about the way they were portrayed as each other’s competition, Cyndi suggested she didn’t think it would have made a difference.

She added: “Nah, I didn’t think she liked me that much.”

The 70-year-old music legend even kept the rivalry in mind when it came to her fashion choices, to avoid people thinking she was copying Madonna.

Reflecting on her hairdo in the mid-1980s, she said: “See, my hair at that point, Madonna had blonde hair.

“I said, ‘OK, doll, I’ll just put a black spot here so they know the difference between the two of us.’ “

The “Time After Time” singer recently admitted she wishes they could have been friends.

She told the New York Times newspaper: “It was a shame. I would have liked to have a friend.”

She also quipped: “It was like apples and oranges,” in reference to people being made to “choose” one.

Now, Cyndi is preparing for her farewell tour after announcing one last jaunt playing her music across North America, and she admitted she wants to go out on a high.

The “True Colors” star said: “I don’t think I can perform the way I want to in a couple of years. I want to be strong.”

She has been working hard to prepare for the tour, with her preparations including yoga and weight exercises, plus healthy eating, physical therapy and four days a week of vocal coaching.

She added: “When you’re a singer, you have to be an athlete. You can’t f–k around. When you’re 20, yeah. But when you get older? No.”