Madonna has been having a tough couple of months. 

Not only is she currently on the road for her Rebel Heart tour but she is also embroiled in a custody battle with her ex-husband over her 15-year-old son Rocco. 

Rocco left the States to live with Guy and his family in December of last year and has not seen his popstar mother since. 

Guy and Rocco both appeared at a hearing in London this week over the dispute with Madonna's rep apologising for her absence. 

The 57-year-old star was actually in Australia performing to a Melbourne crowd but reports suggested that the show started hours late. 

Fans worried for the star as she took the stage in a clown costume and spoke openly about her family issues to the audience. 

"Oh there's no end to the mistakes I've made," said the singer onstage according to the Sun. 

"Anyway everybody knows the saga of me and my son Rocco. It's not a fun story to tell or think about.

"I probably could have enjoyed myself a little bit more on this tour if he hadn't disappeared so suddenly and also if I knew when I would see him again."

The star then sang a song dedicated to her son with his image displayed on a large screen behind her. 

She also admitted to having a few drinks that evening with audience members taking to Twitter to speculate that the singer was drunk. 

"One thing I’m going to do here tonight that I’ve never done before when singing is drink.

"I’m not supposed to be asking for alcohol right now but, Jesus Christ, get me some drink."

We can't imagine any of this will bode well for her case which she is currently trying to have heard solely in the States rather than in London. 

Madonna has hit back at accusations that she was drunk during a live performance as part of her Rebel Heart tour last week. 

The star appeared to slur her words on stage as she chatted to the crowd as seen in a fan video made during the show in Kentucky. 

"I'm messing everything up," she says to her fans in the eight minute video. 

"My choreography, my words… Maybe someone slipped some bourbon into my throat coat tea." 

Madonna took to her Instagram account to blast the accusations and claimed she was falling victim to sexism in the media. 

"For those people who like to believe all they read i never drink and perform!!!" read the captioned image of herself lying down on stage. 

"It's so very interesting how society continues to not only treat me in a totally sexist way (if I were a man no one would have said a thing) and also continue to take everything I say literally! 

"That's what happens when people don't read book and get all information from TMZ."

This is not the first time the Rebel Heart tour has faced criticism by fans and in the press, as some audiences have been kept waiting over two and a half hour for the iconic star to take to the stage. 

The controversy comes amidst Madonna's bitter custody battle with ex-husband Guy Ritchie over their 15-year-old son, Rocco. 

According to inside sources, Rocco had become frustrated with his home life and left the US during his mother's Rebel Heart tour just before the Christmas holidays. 

An attorney for Guy Ritchie released a statement claiming that: "[Rocco] has expressed very clearly that he does not want to return to New York."

Guy has reportedly hired lawyers as he prepares to battle the iconic pop star for Rocco's custody, revealing that he believes that the teenager would have a healthier lifestyle in London with him, his wife and three children.