Madonna who sings this song. Madonna: biography, personal life, family, husband, children - photos. She had to work hard to get to the top

Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone(English: Madonna Louise Ciccone, born August 16, 1958, Bay City, Michigan, USA) - singer, actress, director, songwriter, music producer and entrepreneur. On this page you will find a complete biography of Madonna, her success story and the main stages of her ascent to the musical Olympus.

I am interested in learning more about famous and successful people in order to understand what helped them achieve such heights in life. To do this, we have a place where you can get acquainted with the biographies of outstanding people of our time who have succeeded in life.

But now there are only men in this section. This is probably not entirely fair; there are many amazing examples among women whose experience can be taken into account. Therefore, let's urgently correct this injustice!

They say that good things do not last forever, and sooner or later they come to an end. These are the words of people who have achieved nothing in life. / Madonna

It is very difficult to write something new about a person known throughout the world. The popularity of our today's heroine is really off the charts.

It’s hard to remain a modest “gray mouse” if you are the most commercially successful singer who has set a record for the sales of her records - more than 250 million album copies and 100 million singles. “The Queen of Pop” is what her fans call her.

In this article we will go through the known facts of her biography and see how a simple girl from a large family managed to achieve amazing success.

A person's dreams can be judged by what he achieves in adulthood. She will turn 61 in August 2019. Madonna looks 100% her age. In 2018, the singer took part in the #10YearChallenge, a flash mob on Instagram, during which she shared her new photo and a photo from 10 years ago.

The 10-year difference between Madonna's photos is almost invisible

The singer can boast of more than one achievement. The girl from the Great Lakes State, as Michigan is fondly called by Americans, has truly achieved a lot.

Madonna's name is included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, along with such stars as Louis Armstrong, ABBA, Queen

At the same time, as rightly noted in the singer’s official biography in the online version of the Hall of Fame, her achievements are not limited to the field of music, “and in terms of celebrity she is comparable to Marilyn Monroe.”

By the way, Madonna is very close to this image, to which she brings her own unique charm. In 2015, it was in this image – beautiful, bright and inviting – that the singer greeted visitors on the official website www.madonna.com. Now the “style icon” in the image of “Madam X” is promoting her 14th studio album of the same name, which is scheduled for release in June 2019.

However, Madonna herself considers physical beauty, although beautiful, to be ephemeral, and values ​​it more than “the self-confidence that comes with achieving goals.”

By the way, a very apt statement that I experienced myself. Be sure to take it into your arsenal.

The fact is that when you have confidence in your own abilities, then you are not afraid of any new goals or obstacles. This is especially important for achieving financial success.

After all, when we earn money, we always risk something. People often avoid risk because they lack confidence in themselves.

Let's say you want to get involved in some financial instrument or create your own business. If you have dozens and hundreds of conquered goals behind you, then you will view the business not as a business, but simply as another goal that you want to conquer.

And you know that you will do it, because you have done it more than once. For such people, failure is not a big deal. They are charged for success. And as a rule, they achieve everything. As you can see, even Madonna confirms this.

The success of the pop diva allows her to be very confident in herself. I would like to give a list of all her awards, but a complete list of Madonna’s awards would take a couple of pages. Therefore, I will leave this information for extracurricular reading and, as they say, I will be brief. Madonna has been nominated dozens of times and received the American Music Award, Billboard Music Award, The American Moviegoers Awards, BRIT Awards, Japan Gold Disc Awards, Grammy and others.

In 1996, Madonna received the prestigious Golden Globe film award for her role in the film Evita. In 2012, she received this award for the second time for the soundtrack “Masterpiece” for the film “WE. We believe in love." It’s impossible to count all the awards and honors of the performer, because their number has exceeded 290! She is named the best-selling female singer of all time and is included in the Guinness Book of Records.

Madonna has more than 20 film roles, hundreds of songs and dozens of albums under her belt.

Well, just not a woman, but some kind of “Drummer of capitalist labor.” Her inexhaustible powers are impressive! In my opinion, it’s time for the “hot thing” Madonna to be awarded another award for her “hot” stage experience!

You may ask, do I love her music and would I buy a ticket to see her perform? I’ll answer you this way: “there are no comrades according to taste,” but what definitely attracts me about our heroine is her amazing ability to achieve her goals.

“The Energizer” - Madonna manages to prove herself in many areas. If she decided to issue business cards, the standard letterhead would not accommodate all of her positions. After all, she is a singer, songwriter, writer, screenwriter, director, dancer, actress, businessman, designer.

Human cloning is officially prohibited, so let's discard this reason, which explains Madonna's active professional activity, as fantastic. So what helps her keep up “on all fronts”?

The singer herself reveals the recipe for success:


In a word, a visual aid to a multi-faceted, “self-made” person. On this score, the pop diva is convinced that a person is a material from which one can make “a chic dress, or a doormat.”

Do you know what you want? As my experience in conducting trainings, consultations and coaching shows, people don’t know what they want. And if they do know, then most often it is something imposed on them from the outside and is not their “native” goals.

The same goes for ambitions. Think more broadly, don’t be afraid to set grandiose and important life goals for yourself. Buying an expensive car, an apartment and regularly going on vacation can hardly be called ambitious.

What helped her become like this?

As a child, Madonna had neither rich parents nor relatives associated with show business. She was born in 1958 into a Catholic family, where her mother, Madonna Louise Fortin, took care of the children (Madonna had three more brothers and two sisters), and her father, Silvio Ciccone, worked as an engineer-designer.

The head of the family adhered to a strict upbringing of his offspring, forbade watching television, demanded excellent school grades and compulsory church attendance. Madonna's mother died of cancer when the girl was only 5 years old. This was a huge tragedy for the child. Madonna's father married for the second time, and soon Louise Ciccone had a half-brother and sister.

Now the show business star admits that there was a lot of terrible and unpleasant things in her life, but she does not want to be pitied, since she does not feel sorry for herself. The formation of Madonna’s personality occurred not thanks to some conditions, but in spite of it.

She had to work hard to get to the top

Since childhood, the girl wanted to stand out from the crowd and not get lost in the crowd. With her shocking antics, Madonna already at a young age attracted the attention of others, which, apparently, she did not receive enough in the family. Either a girl will dress in multi-colored stockings, or she will perform a dance in only a bikini at a young talent competition.

In high school, Madonna participates in social life and demonstrates organizational, acting and dancing abilities. Despite her classes in the drama club and ballet studio, Madonna also has excellent performance in school subjects.

Although why should we be surprised, because her IQ is 140 points! According to this indicator, the pop star is 3 points ahead of Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States.

After school, Madonna continued her dance education at the University of Michigan, where she was awarded a scholarship as the best student. On the recommendation of a ballet teacher, and of her own free will, Madonna soon left the university and moved to New York to continue her career as a dancer.

A city with great opportunities did not welcome her with open arms. Madonna would later call her arrival in the metropolis, without money and with grandiose plans, the most courageous act of her life.

“My fear of something usually means I have to do it.”, Madonna admits. It is this quality in her that really impresses me. After all, courage is not the absence of fears in a person, but, on the contrary, the courage to look them in the eyes.

The taxi driver who dropped off the young provincial girl in the center of New York took from her neither more nor less, but almost half of the available cash - 15 dollars. At first, Madonna lived in virtual poverty, periodically spending the night in attics, and even sometimes checking the contents of garbage cans in search of food. However, this did not break our heroine and did not spoil the character of the future mega-star. Her distinctive quality has always been her ability to communicate and make acquaintances.

Madonna accidentally meets the Gilroy brothers, who had their own small orchestra. Soon they find a new acquaintance a place to stay and take her into their ensemble. Madonna comes to the conclusion that not dancing, but singing can be the chance that will lead her to worldwide fame and adoration.

She earns money from her audio recordings, which she unsuccessfully tries to promote in clubs.

There is still not enough money, and during this period Madonna manages to work as a cloakroom attendant, as a model in an art studio, and does not neglect nude photo shoots.

In the end, the persistent girl meets the famous New York DJ Mark Kamins, with whose support she releases her single “Everybody” in 1982. After the success of this song, the recording company Sire Records signed her.

In 1983, the debut album “Madonna” was released.

The pop diva admits: “I pulled myself up by the straps of my own bra.” For those who are quick to nod their heads, saying we know how she made her way onto the stage, let us answer in Madonna’s own words:

The debut album immediately brings the singer long-awaited recognition. The song “Holiday” from this disc is included in the TOP 20 American singles, and the next year it enters the top ten in Europe. In 1984, Madonna released a new album, “Like a Virgin,” which featured the hit song “Material Girl.”

This record gives the singer her eponymous nickname and firmly sticks with her. Madonna agrees that she is quite a "material girl."

Her income is growing rapidly, and in 1992 she and the TV presenter Oprah Winfrey declared two of the richest women in show business

The Queen of Pop's personal net worth is estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars. Starting from scratch, the star now has a whole staff of assistants working on her image, but still takes part in financial matters, squeezing every last cent out of discs, video clips and shows.

Madonna's work changes over time. In the 80s, she toured the United States, trying on different, but always intriguing images. According to statistics, Madonna sells more albums than any American singer.

In 1989, the outrageous Madonna outdid herself in the video for the song “Like a Prayer.” The explicit video with controversial religious motives received sharp disapproval from the Catholic Church. As a result of this uproar, Pepsi terminated its previously concluded advertising contract with the singer.

Madonna’s creative motto of that period is expressed clearly: “scandals are the best advertising,” and the singer deservedly received another nickname “marketing genius.”

In 1990, the singer became the first female businessman to appear on the cover of Forbes magazine.

Madonna creates a controversial image for herself. Nobody knows what to expect from her next video or provocative PR move. Her activities cause a certain resonance in society, and this is exactly what she has always strived for - power and fame.

In addition to a huge number of fans, Madonna also has an army of ill-wishers, some of whom condemn “flirting” with religion, and some do not approve of creativity in general.

The heroine herself shares her memories as follows:

If we compare the star’s behavior in her turbulent youth and now, we can say that Madonna has “settled down.” She no longer causes public scandals, confirming the image of a self-sufficient and calm woman.

The pop diva, in addition to musical creativity and writing, is busy managing her own company Maverick, which produces films, books and music albums.

And if earlier the singer stated that “everyone has every right to share my opinion,” now Madonna admits that life has taught her to give in. After all, compromise is not a weakness, but an opportunity. “get your way through more subtle means.”

Well, flexibility and the ability to adapt are useful qualities in the arsenal of a motivated person.

Madonna has four children - daughter Lourdes, whose father was fitness trainer Carlos Leon, son Rocco from her ex-husband, film director Guy Ritchie, and adopted son David and daughter Mercy. Her words speak about the role that Madonna’s heirs play: “The most important thing in life is children. It is in children's eyes that we can see the real world."

It is to them that she tries to give what she did not receive from her mother due to her early death: home comfort, proper upbringing and true family values. Madonna tries to devote a lot of time to her family, realizing that there can be many pop stars, but the children have only one mother.

Madonna remains a workaholic, waking up early in the morning and dedicating several hours each day to staying in shape.

The self-made lady does not want to stop there. " I am my own experiment, and my own masterpiece.", she declares.

Madge turned 54 today. And no matter what they say, she looks amazing. She has two children, a young handsome boyfriend and a career that is the American dream come true. Keep it up!

If you look through the covers with her photographs, you can remember how it all began and how many images Madonna, this famous chameleon, tried to remain eternally relevant. We also collected interesting facts about this legendary woman.

Madonna was born in the small town of Bay City, Michigan, USA. She is proud of her European roots: her grandparents came to America from the old, picturesque Italian town of Pacentro.

In 1988, local officials decided to erect a four-meter statue of her in honor of the ancestors of the famous “compatriot” Madonna.

Madonna is the third of six children born to Silvio "Tony" Ciccone and Madonna Louise Ciccone (née Fortin). The girl was named after her mother. She also has a half-sister and a brother from her father's second marriage to former governess Joan Gustefson.

Madonna was a cheerleader in high school (Rochester Adams High School).

Having moved to New York, Madonna tried to realize her dream of becoming a famous dancer, while working as a waitress at the famous Dunkin Donuts fast food restaurant chain. According to rumors, she was soon fired because she deliberately poured jam on a harmful client.

Madonna's album Like A Virgin was included in the 200 Albums of All Time, and the singer herself was included as an honorary member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in 2008.

While married to Sean Penn, Madonna tried to contribute to her husband's film career by starring with him in the film Shanghai Surprise. She also invited him to the play where she played: she made her stage debut in the play Goose & TomTom in 1986.

Madonna's 2006 concert tour, Confessions Tour, is considered unsurpassed in terms of technical equipment and the number of concerts ever given by a female singer during the tour (60 concerts).

Madonna is the most successful performer in Foggy Albion: no English singer has more hits that have been at the top of the charts than her.

By the way, Madonna has been a British citizen since 2001.

One of the varieties of centipedes, known under various names: “wallflower”, “moss piglet” or “water bear”, is named after the Madonna. A distinctive feature of the species, proudly bearing the name of Madonna, is its exceptional endurance and vitality in extreme natural conditions: from boiling geysers to the ice of Antarctica.

Madonna's father, Tony Ciccone, an avid winemaker, decided to take advantage of his daughter's fame by releasing Madonna's Wine.

Alcoholic drinks under this brand are available in five varieties: Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Gewurztraminer, Cabernet Franc and Chardonnay. Prices range from $25 to $40 per bottle.

The first book Madonna wrote for children, English Roses, was published in 2003. Since then, more than ten of her books for children and teenagers have been published.

People magazine twice included Madonna in its annual nominations: in 1991, she was among the “50 Most Beautiful People of the Year,” and a decade later, in 2001, among the “25 Most Intriguing People of the Year.”

Madonna's good friends are singer Sting and his wife Trudie Styler. By the way, it was Trudy who introduced the singer to director Guy Ritchie. An affair began between Guy and Madonna; their marriage lasted eight years (2000-2008).

Sting became the godfather of Rocco, the son of Madonna and Guy Ritchie.

Since childhood, Madonna has suffered from brontophobia - a panicky fear of thunderstorms and thunder.

Madonna was cast as Catwoman Selina Kyle in the 1992 film Batman Returns, but at the last minute the director changed his mind and chose Michelle Pfeiffer. She also auditioned for the role of Ginger in Martin Scorsese's Casino, but lost out to Sharon Stone.

Madonna turned down the leading roles offered to her in the films “The Famous Baker Brothers” and “Showgirls.”

Her height: 163 cm
Weight: 54.5 kg
Bust size: 91.5 cm
Waist size: 61 cm
Hip size: 86.5 cm
Eye color: green-blue
Natural hair color: dark brown

Madonna still does not have her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, although she was given such an opportunity back in 1990.

At that time, for some reason the singer did not show interest in the ceremony, and the invitation expired. Walk of Fame officials later stated that Madonna "must be re-nominated" to receive a star, adding that "since there is little interest in the singer, it is highly doubtful that she will be considered in the foreseeable future."

The Pepsico Corporation, which produces Pepsi-Cola, paid Madonna $5 million for a promotional video with her participation, which was never shown on television! Pepsi management decided at the last minute to withdraw the controversial commercial, which featured the song “Like A Prayer,” considering the ambiguous religious overtones of the musical work inappropriate.

Madonna "won" a record number of times (nine) in the Golden Raspberry anti-award: Worst Actress in the film Shanghai Surprise (1987), Worst Actress in the film Who's That Girl? (1988), Worst Actress in Body as Evidence (1994), Worst Supporting Actress in Four Rooms (1996), Worst Actress of the Century (2000), Worst Actress in Best Friend ( 2001), Worst Actress in Swept Away and Worst Supporting Actress in Die Another Day (both 2003).

Madonna was recognized as the best actress of the year by the organizers of the Golden Globe Awards in 1997. She was awarded for her starring role in the film Evita, despite the fact that her competitors were Glenn Close, Frances McDormand, Debbie Reynolds and Barbra Streisand.

Madonna's filmography includes 22 films.

After conducting genealogical research, it was found that Madonna is distantly related to such famous personalities as singers Celine Dion and Gwen Stefani, as well as actor Mark Wahlberg.

Madonna auditioned for the lead female role in the film “The Bodyguard” with Kevin Costner, but the final choice was made in favor of Whitney Houston.

As a child, Madonna dreamed of becoming a ballerina.

In total, Madonna was nominated for a Grammy Award 20 times and received seven awards.

Madonna has been a vegetarian since the age of fifteen.

Madonna hates the color orange.

The provocative book Sex, written by the singer in support of the Erotica album and containing the singer’s illustrated sexual fantasies, sold out so quickly that additional copies had to be ordered the very next day after the book’s release.

Madonna dedicated her album True Blue to her then-husband Sean Penn, whom she called "The Coolest Guy in the Universe."

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow was a bridesmaid at Madonna and Guy Ritchie's wedding in Scotland.

“Fight Club” director David Fincher shot four of Madonna’s video clips as a cinematographer.

Madonna's songs What It Feels Like For A Girl and Justify My Love were banned from MTV for various reasons.

The Recording Industry Association of America named Madonna the most commercially successful female rock artist of the 20th century. She also took second position as a female artist in the number of discs sold in the United States, selling 63 million albums!

Madonna is the queen of pop music, writer, director, producer, fashion designer... in a word, a multifaceted and creative personality. Her life story is the embodiment of the American dream, it proves that with amazing hard work you can achieve a rapid rise from the bottom to the very top. But most importantly, Madonna became a symbol of the sexual revolution of the 20th century.

Today Madonna Louise Ciccone is one of the richest and most influential women in world show business. In 2018, her fortune was estimated at $580 million.

Childhood and family

Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone was born on August 16, 1958 in Bay City, Michigan. The celebrity's mother, Madonna Louise Fortin, came from a family of French Canadians and worked as an X-ray technician. His father, Italian-American Silvio "Tony" Ciccone, was a design engineer at the Chrysler automobile plant.


Madonna became the third child and first daughter in a family that later had two more sons and a daughter. As the first daughter, in accordance with Italian traditions, she received her mother's name.


When Madonna Jr. turned 5, her mother died of breast cancer. The 30-year-old woman was carrying her sixth child, and chemotherapy meant an inevitable miscarriage. Being a religious woman, she could not do this. The child was born, and a few months later the mother died. The father remarried the family's maid, Joan Gustafson. This is how the girl got a half-brother, Mario, and a sister, Jennifer.


Madonna grew up in a devout Catholic family in the suburbs of Detroit. As the singer admits, she was not everyone’s favorite in childhood; everyone considered her a “hello” girl.

“They treated me cruelly, but I did not allow them to wipe their feet on me and only emphasized my foreignness.

Madonna was an exemplary excellent student, for which her classmates did not like her, but her teachers adored her. She did not shave her armpit hair or wear makeup, and took piano and jazz choreography lessons.


But at the age of 14, her good-girl reputation was ruined: she showed up to a school talent competition in a bikini, and her body was painted with fluorescent paints. After a cheeky dance to “Baba O’Riely” by The Who, her father became furious and put Madonna under house arrest, and at school they remembered this performance for a long time, calling her a “whore.” The girl herself, being on stage, finally felt like who she was. And the concept of “virgin/whore” has been a leitmotif through her work ever since.


The mother of the future celebrity loved to dance. Her daughter followed in her footsteps and convinced her father to sign her up for ballet lessons. Later, in high school, she competed on the cheerleading team. After graduating from school as an external student, Madonna received choreographic education at the University of Michigan. One of the teachers convinced her not to waste time studying, but to build a career as a dancer. So in 1958, Madonna dropped out of college and moved to New York with a couple of dozen dollars in her pocket.


She struggled to make ends meet, lived in poverty, worked at Dunkin' Donuts and collaborated with a number of dance groups. Now Madonna recalls that period of her life as the most desperate:

– When I arrived in New York, it was the first time I flew on an airplane, the first time I even called a taxi - everything was for the first time. And I arrived with 35 dollars in my pocket. This was my most courageous act in my life.

First steps to success

In 1979, Madonna danced with French disco artist Patrick Heronandez during his world tour and went crazy with musician Dan Gilroy. With the latter, a little later, the pop diva created her first rock band called Breakfast Club. Madonna played drums and guitar, and also sang.


That same year, for a fee of one hundred dollars, she starred in the film Specific Victim, playing a sex slave. Years later, Madonna tried to buy the rights to the film in order to destroy all reminders of this shame, but she never succeeded.

Madonna in the movie Specific Victim

In 1981, Madonna broke up with Gilroy and began singing in the Emmy group with drummer and Stephen Bray. At the same time, the girl signed a contract with Gotham Records, but the collaboration was short-lived - the aspiring singer’s manager did not share her views on creativity. Soon, with Bray's support, she recorded a demo tape of four "street" tunes ("Ain't No Big Deal", "Stay", "Burning Up" and "Everybody"), which she distributed independently.


Madonna's demo recording impressed DJ and producer Mark Kamins, who played at the Danceteria club, where Madonna often visited. Kamins introduced the rising star to Sire Records founder Seymour Stein. The result was a contract for the release of the debut single “Everybody”. Kamins and Bray began to fight for the right to be called Madonna's agent, while both were her lovers. The choice was not easy, but in the end the singer settled on Mark.

"Everybody", Madonna's very first video

Before recording and releasing her debut album, Madonna's producers decided to test the waters and understand whether the singer's success was accidental or not. For this purpose the second maxi-single was written. If it becomes a hit, then they will give the go-ahead to record the album, the producers said. A more experienced producer, Reggie Lucas, was selected to replace Cumings. In collaboration with him, Madonna recorded the single “Burning Up” with the composition “Physical Attraction” on side B. A video was released for the first song, which was included in MTV rotation.


Madonna's first music video was simply a choreographed number on the dance floor. But "Burning Up", replete with inviting angles of an uninhibited blonde writhing in languid ecstasy, was a real breakthrough in the music industry. Before Madonna, no singer had dared to exploit sexual themes so openly in music videos. This is the absolute norm in the pop industry today.

Madonna – Burning Up

Madonna's debut album was called "Madonna" and hit the shelves of music stores in July 1983. It included 8 compositions in the synthetic disco genre. The album started on the Billboard 200 chart at position 190. The record took a year to reach number eight. Reviews from critics were mixed. Many music experts accused Madonna of being overly sexy and deliberately “girlish” and gave her her “minute of fame” for at most six months. But Ciccone just chuckled, declaring that she knows perfectly well what image her work has created, but this does not mean that this is the only thing she has to offer: “I keep everything under control and am waiting for people to understand it and be confused.”


Worldwide success

Madonna's second album, Like a Virgin, dedicated, according to the cover insert, to all the virgins on the planet, was released in 1984. The producer was Knight Rogers, who had previously worked with David Bowie (album “Let’s Dance”), which endeared him to Ciccone.

Madonna performed the lead single “Like a Virgin” at the very first MTV Video Music Awards. The singer appeared on stage in a wedding dress and a belt with the inscription “Boy Toy”, and during the performance she rolled on the floor, showing the audience stockings with garters and white panties. For the time, the performance was shockingly sexy. Many years later, eyewitnesses recalled: “It was this moment that became a powerful impetus for the release of female power. This is one of the most significant musical numbers of the 20th century."

Madonna – Like a Virgin (MTV VMA 1984)

In the wake of her first success in 1985, Madonna starred in two films. She got her first role in the film “Visual Search”, where Madonna, in a cameo role as a singer in a club, performed the track “Crazy For You”. Next, the singer appears in the film “Desperate Search for Susan,” which introduced “Into The Groove” to the world and revealed Ciccone as an actress. Many film critics believe that Suzanne is the only successful role in Madonna’s filmography.


That same year, Madonna embarked on her first American tour, “The Virgin Tour,” with the Beastie Boys. Later, a video for the song “Material Girl” is recorded, and Madonna begins a relationship with actor Sean Penn. At the same time, Penthouse and Playboy magazines showed on their pages black and white photographs of the singer’s nudes, which were taken back in 1979. Madonna sued for the rights to ban the publication of the photographs.


Madonna released her third studio album, True Blue, in 1986. It was described by Rolling Stone as "sounding from the heart." The disc contained the ballad “Live to Tell,” which the singer wrote for the film “Point Blank,” where her husband Sean Penn starred. And the name is a direct reference to Penn; Madonna gave him the nickname true blue, which means “devoted.”


The album made Madonna a global star and topped the charts in 28 countries. The Guinness Book of Records called this disc absolutely unprecedented. At the same time, the singer took part in the filming of the film “Shanghai Surprise” and played for the first time in the theatrical production “Goose and Tomtom” along with Sean Penn.

Queen of shocking

In 1986, a video was released for the song “Papa Don’t Preach,” in which Madonna touched on the topic of teenage pregnancy. Her lyrical underage heroine wants to give birth to a child from her loved one. Unexpectedly, the song became a source of conflict between Catholics and pro-lifers (opponents of abortion). Catholics blamed Madonna for promoting extramarital affairs; pro-lifers saw an anti-abortion message in her song. Madonna herself claimed that this song is about a protest against any patriarchal authoritarianism, be it a father, a church or society.

Madonna – Papa Don't Preach

In 1987, Madonna appeared on the set of Who's That Girl and recorded four songs for its soundtrack, including "Causing a Commotion."

In 1988, in the city of Pacentro, where the singer’s ancestors lived, a four-meter tall statue of Madonna was erected.

At the beginning of 1989, the singer signed a 5 million dollar contract with Pepsi, and the new composition “Like A Prayer” was presented just in an advertising campaign for the soda. The video for the song, like the advertisement itself, provoked outrage among religious viewers: crosses were burning in the background. The video shocked the Vatican and called for a boycott of Pepsi, and the holding had no choice but to terminate the sponsorship contract with the pop diva. However, Madonna received her 5 million, and the scandal that broke out fueled public interest for a long time.

Madonna – Like a Prayer

In 1989, an album of the same name to the scandalous video was released, which the singer dedicated to the memory of her deceased mother and all members of her family. The lyrics touched on Madonna's childhood and personality development, the impact of her mother's death on her worldview, relationship with her father and, of course, female sexuality - this is the song "Express Yourself", for which the video was directed by David Fincher.


1990 was marked by the release of a video for the song “Justify My Love,” co-written with Lenny Kravitz. MTV management banned the broadcast of the video on the channel due to its erotic content, references to homosexuality and sadomasochism. The decision was supported by a number of music channels in other countries. Madonna found a way out - she was the first in the music industry to release a video on the market in the “video single” format.

Madonna – Justify My Love

Next year is another scandal. Truth or Dare is a documentary filmed during the Blond Ambition World Tour, during which Toronto police were intent on arresting Madonna for simulating masturbation on stage.

In 1992, Madonna founded her own company, Maverick, which was engaged in entertainment, in particular, producing films, releasing music discs and books. First of all, the company released a book by Madonna entitled “Sex” with revelations and sexual fantasies of the singer, who appears in the text under the name Dita. Along with the book, the single "Erotica" was sold, accompanied by a photograph of Madonna holding a whip. Despite the mixed reaction from society, the book became a bestseller. In the first week, more than 500 thousand people purchased a copy of Sex, and a total of 1.5 million books were sold.


The book's release was part of a deliberate campaign to promote the fifth album, Erotica, which was entirely dedicated to sex. However, the PR campaign also had a downside: the disc was a commercial success, but listeners perceived it more as an addition to the book, so “Erotika” did not make it to the top of the charts.

On March 31, 1994, Madonna came into the studio of The Tonight Show with David Letterman. During the broadcast, she said the word “fuck” 14 times, handed the presenter her panties and offered to sniff them, and when he refused, she said: “Money has made you weak-willed.” In short, in the entire history of the program, this episode was recognized as the most censored.

In the same year, the album “Bedtime Stories” was released, again taking the concept of Ciccone’s work in a different direction. The track of the same name on the album was written by Björk. The theme echoed the previous record, the degree of sexuality dropped by an order of magnitude, while the lyricism of the lyrics increased. Listeners especially liked the single “Secret”, but overall attention to the album remained at average levels.

Passion for Kabbalah

Around 1997, Madonna began studying Kabbalah and Judaism in general. This led to the emergence of calmer intonations in her work and style. Before that, she studied Buddhism, yoga and the Vedas, but only Kabbalah “turned her life upside down.”


Shortly before this, Madonna played the main role in the musical “Evita,” dedicated to the biography of the Argentine singer and subsequently the wife of dictator Juan Peron, Eva Duarte. Filming took place in South America, and the woman’s partner on the set was Antonio Banderas. During preparation for filming, Madonna took vocal lessons, which, by the way, is clearly visible in the album “Ray of Light” released a year later, recognized as the most successful since “Like a Prayer”.


The record symbolized the singer's spiritual rebirth, which was influenced by many factors - from the birth of her daughter (after filming Evita, Madonna became pregnant and soon gave birth to a daughter, Lourdes, from dancer Carlos Leon) to an affair with screenwriter Andy Bird. Madonna's songs no longer talked about the delights of intimate life, but called for attention to environmental disaster, talked about the universe and metaphysical categories. The 39-year-old woman gave up provocative outfits and began wearing a sari and covering her face with a veil.


The public favorably accepted the new image, and in 1999 Madonna received three Grammys at once. Before this, there was only one similar figurine in her collection - received in 1991 in the category “best video clip”. Overall, the album was able to compete even with boy bands and young singers like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera that had flooded the music market.

Pop queen of the world

“Ray of Light” set the bar high, but the album, released in 2000 and designed in an “American” style with the laconic title “Music,” broke the records of its predecessor. The main hits are the songs “Music”, “Don't Tell Me” and “What It Feels Like for a Girl”, the video for which was banned by MTV, but not because of the nudity, but because of the violent scenes.

Madonna – What It Feels Like For A Girl

At the same time, her attempts to realize herself in big cinema failed. In 2000, Ciccone starred in the romantic comedy Best Friend alongside Rupert Everett. Reviews for her acting work were devastating. A year later, the film “Swept Away,” directed by Guy Ritchie, Madonna’s husband at the time, received five Golden Raspberry anti-awards, including the most offensive nominations for “worst actress,” “worst film,” and “worst director.” Since then, Richie has sworn off starring his wife in his films, and the singer only agreed to small roles, for example, in “Die Another Day” with Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry.


But 2003 brought Madonna her first failures in the musical field. The disc “American Life”, in which the singer touched on a number of pressing political issues and opened up emotional abscesses, no longer wanting to tolerate being treated as a “mercantile wench.” The album was not a failure from a commercial point of view, but was still inferior to the previous ones.

The tenth studio album “Confessions on a Dance Floor” (2005) rehabilitated Madonna in her own eyes. It is worth noting that the first song “Hung Up” became Madonna’s main hit throughout her career.

Madonna – Hung Up

On March 26, 2012, Madonna's twelfth album, MDNA, was released. This album topped all the UK and US charts on its first day. But everything turned out to be not so rosy. Critics called the album very dark, linking this with the singer's painful breakup with Jesus Luz. The video for the second album, single Girl Gone Wild, is subject to a censorship ban due to explicit scenes. The album, devoid of a promotional tour in support, becomes the worst-selling album in the singer's career, breaking the American Life anti-record of 2003.


The singer goes on the MDNA Tour, which starts on May 31 and becomes the most successful tour of 2012. Concerts are causing public outcry in the US over the use of imitation weapons on stage. Billboard names Madonna as the record holder for the music industry's earnings - $34.6 million for the year. In 2013, Madonna received 3 Billboard Music Awards. In August 2013, Forbes magazine named the singer the top celebrity earner of the year with earnings of $125 million.

madonna ft. Nicki Minaj – Bitch, I'm Madonna!

In December 2014, 13 demo versions of compositions that were recorded while working on Madonna's thirteenth studio album were leaked onto the Internet. Furious at what happened, the artist recorded several threatening messages addressed to the pirates. A few days after the leak, on December 20, Madonna officially announced her thirteenth album, called Rebel Heart. The album was released on March 10, 2015.

Fashion designer and entrepreneur

In 2010, Madonna took part in an advertising campaign for the fashion house Dolce & Gabbana, which dreamed of getting the singer. Together with her daughter Lourdes, the singer created her own line of youth clothing, “Material Girl.” An album of concert recordings of the same name was released in the same year, and a little later a collection of the best songs “Celebration” appeared. In the same year, Madonna became the screenwriter and director of the film “W.E.”, which is scheduled to be shown in the summer of 2011.


Among other things, Madonna opened a chain of fitness clubs called “Hard Candy” - in honor of her 11th album.

Madonna's personal life

A separate book could be written about Madonna’s love affairs, so below we will only talk about the singer’s most sensational and serious relationships.

During her life, she often started relationships with non-public men and was never embarrassed by the large age difference.

Madonna's first serious romance, which ended in marriage, is associated with the name of actor Sean Penn. At the time they met in 1985, the singer was dating Prince, but easily left the young man for the young (Sean was 2 years younger) cinematic genius with a reputation as a rebel. They met on the set of the “Material Girl” video. Very soon the lovers announced their engagement and got married on August 16, 1985.


Very soon married life disappointed Ciccone. It turned out that both spouses have a violent temperament and an innate tendency to constant rivalry. The situation was aggravated by Penn's drinking. By 1988, their marriage was practically over. In 1989, the artist demanded a divorce.


One night, Penn broke into her house, tied her to a chair, and beat her for several hours. By cunning, the girl got out of the house and got to the police station. Penn denied everything, although the policemen, horrified by the pop idol disfigured by bruises and bruises, had no doubts. However, the case did not go to court - Madonna asked not to open a criminal case against her ex-husband. “He always had problems controlling his anger,” she later said.

Madonna spent the next few months recovering from the psychological trauma. In 1990, the singer began an affair with Warren Beatty, whom she met on the set of “Dick Tracy,” and in 1991 she remembered a short affair with model Tony Ward, who starred in her explicit video for “Justify My Love.”


In 1992, she dated rapper Vanilla Ice. After their breakup, the man’s career began to decline, and the press revealed a pattern that every man who met Madonna suffered a professional collapse or personal tragedy after breaking up with her. This is also true of rapper Tupac Shakur and basketball player Dennis Rodman, with whom Madonna had affairs in 1994.


Then the singer became interested in her personal trainer Carlos Leon, with whom she gave birth to a daughter, Lourdes, in 1997.


Madonna's friend, actress Elizabeth Taylor, convinced her to marry Carlos so that the girl would have a father. However, this time Carlos himself began to lose interest in the relationship. Being a proud man with an ardent temperament, he was furious at the publicity of his beloved. All attention was focused on her, while he remained in the shadows with the prefix “Mr. Madonna.”

When Lourdes was one year old, the paparazzi caught Carlos in the company of another woman. Like a real man, he did not talk about the details of the breakup and rejected all the multimillion-dollar offers from journalists who inquired about the ins and outs of their romance. He did not disappear from the lives of Madonna and Lourdes, and always tried to spend his free time with his daughter.


The singer then had a short relationship with screenwriter Andy Bird, which ended in 1998 after he carelessly told reporters: “Well, we have a passionate relationship, but we need to work on it.” After the breakup, she realized that she was pregnant. The woman immediately refused an abortion. A dilemma arose: to tell Byrd about the pregnancy or not. But fate decided it itself - a miscarriage occurred.

That same year, at Sting's party, Madonna met British director Guy Ritchie. In a matter of days they became close. The director was 10 years younger than the artist and had just brilliantly presented his debut film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels to the public. As it turned out later, Richie was aware that Madonna would be at the party, and went there with one purpose - to meet her.


At the same time, he always treated the singer not as a star, but as an ordinary person. “He called me Madge and made me wash his car,” she recalled. Their romance developed rapidly. In 1999, Richie, having accidentally met Madonna's ex-lover, Bird, in the park, hit him in the face with all his might.

In 2000, Madonna and Guy Ritchie got married, and soon she gave birth to a son, Rocco. In 2005, they adopted a black boy from Malawi, who was given the name David Banda Malawe and the double surname Ciccone-Ricci. Later, already divorced, she adopted three more girls: first little Chifundo in 2006, then, in 2012, twins Stella and Esther.


The reason for their disagreement is not exactly known, but the singer’s fans are inclined to believe that Richie was fed up with Madonna’s passion for Kabbalah. In 2008, the singer publicly announced a divorce.


After this, Madonna turned her attention to 22-year-old Brazilian Jesus Luz. Their romance lasted a whole year, after which they broke up, “not getting along.” Or, as evil tongues said, the young man was simply tired of being a toy in the hands of a pop diva.


Then for more than three years the singer dated breakdancer Brahim Zeba, and in 2014 she was caught in a relationship with dancer Timor Steffens. In 2017, the singer was romantically involved with 32-year-old Portuguese model Kevin Sampaio. In the summer of 2018, there were rumors about their upcoming wedding.


Madonna now

At the beginning of 2018, Madonna shared with Instagram followers that she was working on her 14th studio album.

There are rumors that she will play the lead role of silent film star Norma Desmond in the musical Sunset Boulevard.

Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone was born on August 16, 1958 in the small town of Bay City, Michigan. Her mother, Madonna Louise worked as a radiography technician. Father, Silvio Ciccone, worked as a design engineer at the Chrysler General Motors plant.

Madonna was born as the third child in a large Catholic family, which in addition to her had five more brothers and sisters. The children were raised in strict Catholic traditions requiring compulsory church attendance and diligent study at school. The Ciccone family was so devout that every day the children were woken up at 6 a.m. to spend an hour in church before being taken to the parish school.


Madonna with her parents and older brothers (left)

On December 1, 1963, when Madonna was five years old, her mother died of breast cancer. This was a terrible blow for the girl. For two years, Madonna fell into hypochondria, convincing herself that she, like her mother, had cancer. As soon as she left the house, she was immediately seized with horror and began vomiting.

“After my mother died, I had a terrible feeling that everyone had abandoned me.”


Madonna's parents

It was difficult for my father to cope with his large family. Therefore, soon various assistants began to appear in the house. In 1966, three years after the death of his mother, his father became involved with another housekeeper who helped with the housework, Joan Gustafson.

Madonna could not accept her stepmother, and their relationship was strained. The birth of Madonna's half-brother and sister further complicated the situation. She could not come to terms with the fact that a strange woman had taken her mother’s place in her father’s heart.

Relations with classmates also did not work out. Her peers considered her a “hello” girl. And many did not like her for her brilliant academic performance. A wayward, shocking character manifested itself already in his school years:

“When I was forbidden to wear makeup or wear nylon stockings, I wanted to do the opposite.”

As a sign of protest, and in order to attract more attention, Madonna pulled a pair of provocative, often mismatched stockings onto her teenage legs.

At the age of 14, Madonna Ciccone performs at a school talent evening. This was a key event in her childhood. But since she danced at this performance only in a bikini, the reputation of their Catholic family suffered greatly. The father was furious and put his daughter under house arrest, and the town discussed the performance for another month.

At the age of 15, Madonna began taking ballroom dancing lessons from teacher Christopher Flynn. He was everything to her: teacher, father, close friend...

Flynn was 30 years older than Madonna and was gay, so the student’s love remained unrequited. However, he took the student to classical concerts, exhibitions and gay clubs, introducing her to the world of art. The appearance of the excellent student begins to change towards a sloppy bohemian look, scaring off others.

At the same time, 15-year-old Madonna had her first boyfriend, 17-year-old Russell Long. Madonna made sure that her father and the whole school knew about her first lover. And a year later, even the convinced gay Flynn could not resist the beauty of the matured student. 16-year-old Madonna turned her mentor into a bisexual for a while.

In 1976, Madonna Ciccone graduates from school a few months before her final exams. Thanks to an excellent certificate, successfully passed an IQ test and excellent recommendations from teachers, she continues her dance education on a budget basis at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor. Professor Christopher Flynn, having received a position at the college, gave patronage to his “favorite student.”

The choice of a “frivolous” profession greatly worsened the singer’s already difficult relationship with her father. All the years he hoped that his daughter would be a doctor or lawyer. But by that time, the father had ceased to have influence on his daughter. Madonna knew what she wanted and decided to go towards her goal.


Madonna at the University of Ann Arbor

According to teachers, Madonna had endurance, rare even for a dancer, which was further developed by ballet training. Having studied at the University of Michigan for only a year and a half, she begins to realize that she has no future in the province. And despite his father’s ban, he quits university to go to New York with the dream of opening his own dance studio.

In the summer of 1978, a plane delivered Madonna, full of determination and self-confidence, to the New York airport. The girl had only $35, a winter coat and a suitcase with a dance uniform. In this city she had no relatives or acquaintances and she did not know where to go. Taking a taxi, Madonna said to take her to the very center. The trip cost $15 - slightly less than half of Madonna's entire fortune.

Madonna had a hard time in New York. She lived in poverty, periodically spending the night in basements and attics, and wandered. And sometimes, in search of food, she checked the contents of trash cans:

“I worked my ass off before I became who I am. And I literally starved, sometimes getting food from garbage bins, until I finally broke through...”

Already in November 1978, Madonna was invited to audition for the famous dance troupe of ballerina Pearl Lang. Working in the Pearl Lang troupe did not allow her to pay rent, and the dancer worked part-time as a Dunkin' Donuts seller, as well as as a model in an art studio, and as a nude model for photographers (these photos surfaced many years later, appearing in Playboy and Penthouse magazines ").

In a word, she had to spin in order not to die of hunger. She made her stage debut in the production of “I Never Saw Other Butterflies Again” as a boy from the Jewish ghetto.

Soon, Madonna Ciccone began to weaken in classes due to malnutrition, and Lang arranged for the dancer to work in the evenings for food as a cloakroom attendant at the Russian Samovar restaurant. Renting a room in a cheap and dangerous area of ​​​​New York, where Madonna was raped by a maniac armed with a knife. After a mental injury, she becomes distracted in class and stops believing in her dancing future.

Due to a lack of funds, Madonna begins to go to auditions for Broadway musicals and as a backup dancer, although she previously considered this beneath her dignity, since she danced with Pearl Lange herself, a student of the famous Martha Graham. In 1979, luck smiled on her. At one of the castings as a backup dancer for French disco artist Patrick Hernandez for his 1979 world tour, the producers really liked Madonna’s dance and asked her to sing something.

Madonna sang the simple song “Jingle Bells” and, to the complete surprise of Madonna, who sang only in the school choir, she was invited to Paris, where they wanted to make her “something like a dancing Edith Piaf.” The artist finally left the Lang troupe and spent six months in France, Belgium and Tunisia. She was convinced of the prospects of a singer's career, but 20-year-old Madonna by that time was passionate about punk rock, rebelled against the producers and did not want to sing the proposed disco-pop material. Six months later, Madonna fell ill with pneumonia, and after recovery, she flew back to New York to “visit friends,” never returning to the French producers.

Her boyfriend was waiting for her in New York: by the time she met the producers, she had been in love with musician Dan Gilroy for two weeks. Gilroy had a huge influence on the transformation of Madonna Ciccone from a dancer into a musician: he taught her to play drums and electric guitar. After practicing the drums every day to Elvis Costello's CD, Madonna became quite a good drummer and was accepted into Gilroy's band called the Breakfast Club.

In 1981, Madonna left the group. Gilroy recalled:

She has a natural talent for playing percussion instruments, and we offered her a lucrative business opportunity. One evening she wanted to try herself as a singer, we gave her a chance in one of our numbers, and soon it happened. She couldn't get rid of it anymore. By this time we already had two singers and didn't need a third one, so she left us. It was probably one of the smartest decisions she ever made.

And in the same year, Madonna created the group Emmy in collaboration with her ex-boyfriend Stephen Bray, whom she took to play drums, already being a soloist. Together they record several dance compositions.

In 1981, Madonna Ciccone meets Camille Barbon, the owner of the Gotham recording studio. Soon Barbon offered to become the singer’s personal manager. Barbon rents more decent housing for Madonna, setting a salary and providing financial support as needed. Camille Barbon tried to get Madonna a contract with the label.

This work does not bring results. Therefore, Madonna, leaving the company, decides to independently ensure that the demo recording of her song gets auditioned by the “right people.”

Madonna's choice falls on the Dansteria company, which at that time was known for maintaining the traditions of entertainment venues. Dunsteria was opened in 1981 by Rudolf, a famous nightlife impresario of the time. The establishment quickly became famous and fashionable. They talked and wrote about him constantly.

Madonna begins to visit this establishment, demonstrating excellent dancing skills. One of the most fateful acquaintances in Madonna’s life took place here.

Mark Kaminsa, the recognized king of DJs and aspiring producer, was the person who first played Madonna's record at Dunsteria. The delight in which the audience came convinced Mark that Madonna was a future star.

In 1982, with the help of the same Mark Kamins, Madonna recorded the single “Everybody”. Mark takes the cassette with Madonna's new song to Chris Blackwell, executive director of Island records, but he refuses the singer.

Upset by the failure, Mark Kamins, through his friend Michael Rosenblatt, arranges for Madonna to meet with the founder of Sire Records, Seymour Stein. This time the contract was signed immediately. (Madonna Ciccone becomes simply Madonna). Under the terms of the agreement, Madonna receives an advance of $5,000, and for each song written, royalties and a publishing fee of $1,000. President Seymour Stein and Rosenblatt were confident in Madonna's success, but not so confident as to go all in and release the album right away. Rosenblatt developed a plan to promote Madonna through the release of dance singles.

Mark Kamins became the producer to work on Madonna's first single; this was his first experience. The result of their two-week work was a single, which, in their opinion, should have instantly elevated her to the top forty performers. But, after listening to what was considered a hit, Rosenblatt became depressed; Ain’t No Big Deal didn’t seem like that to him.

There was no time to re-record, so they put Everybody on both sides of the single. They decided not to put a photo of Madonna on the cover, since many, listening to her songs, thought that she was a black woman. This way it was possible to attract a wider audience. Rosenblatt's extraordinary decision paid off handsomely. In a matter of weeks, Everybody rocketed to the top of the dance music popularity charts.

In 1983, their debut album entitled Madonna was released. The song “Holiday”, presented on this disc, receives great success and is included in the top twenty American singles, and the next year in the top ten in Europe. In 2013, Rolling Stone named it one of the 100 best debut albums of all time. To date, Madonna's album has sold 10 million copies.

In 1984, the second album Like a Virgin was released. Which topped the US album chart. The album sold 26 million copies worldwide and eventually received a diamond certificate in the United States.

Meanwhile, the singer's career is gaining momentum. The songs she records invariably occupy the highest places in the ratings and charts.

Over the years of her musical activity, Madonna has successfully tried herself in different genres and directions, becoming the winner of many awards. Madonna also holds numerous records, in particular, she surpassed Elvis Presley in the total number of hits in the top ten on Billboard, and in this indicator she became second, second only to the Beatles.

Madonna's 2008-2009 Sticky and Sweet Tour is the highest-grossing male or female solo artist of all time.

Being one of the most famous media persons, Madonna received the nicknames Material Girl (after the title of her early song Material Girl) and Queen of Pop from the English-language press. She is also known as the author of children's books in the English Roses series, a popularizer of yoga and Kabbalah, and an activist in many charitable and human rights organizations.

After the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, the singer donated $250,000 to a fund for victims.

In addition, she is actively involved in the revival of the African republic of Malawi, where her adopted children are from. And the Queen of Pop's personal fortune is estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars.

Madonna is very efficient - the singer practically does not rest. According to her, she begins to suffer from idleness already on the second day of her vacation. Typically, she rises at four in the morning for the obligatory jog in the park, followed by a 45-minute yoga class and the traditional call to her guru at the London Kabbalah Centre. After this, Madonna is ready to have breakfast with her children. After such a busy morning, an equally busy day follows - business calls, negotiations, meetings. From noon, work begins on the lyrics and arrangement of songs or roles in films.

Personal life

Madonna's first husband was actor Sean Penn, whom she met on the set of the "MaterialGirl" video. It was love at first sight. Sean first saw Madonna as she walked down the stairs in a satin flowing dress. He was 24 and she was 26.


Madonna and Sean Penn

In the summer of 1985, on her own birthday, Madonna married Sean Penn. However, the newlyweds' happiness was short-lived. Soon Sean’s pride began to be hurt by the offensive nickname “Mr. Madonna” and the active interest of the press in their couple. Due to the aggressive behavior of “Mr. Madonna” towards journalists and his wife, they began to be called “evil Penns” in the press. For the jealous Penn, marriage to Madonna became real torture. Not only did he have to constantly fend off the intrusive press, but his wife also reserved the right to “go left.” But for Madonna, the relationship with the ambitious (and even drinking) Penn was a test. Penn wanted to lock his wife at home.

Madonna, head over heels in love, meekly abandoned her performances and stage career. Penn fired all her bodyguards and began to accompany her everywhere himself. Madonna could not stand this and returned to the stage. Penn resigned himself, and this was the beginning of the era of “Mr. Madonna,” as the press dubbed him.

At the peak of their life together, the couple starred in Shanghai Express - the film became the biggest failure in Penn's career and one of the worst for Madonna.

The scandalous marriage has cracked. What happened next shocked everyone: Penn turned into a tyrant. He began to beat his wife, mocked her, tied her up, threatening to disfigure her face with a lit cigarette. He demanded details of adultery - imaginary and real. As a result, Madonna wrote a statement to the police about rape and beating, attaching a divorce petition to it. Penn was facing a significant sentence, but the singer withdrew the lawsuit...

However, according to the laws of the state of California, Sean was entitled to half of his wife’s fortune. But he did not lay claim to the seventy million dollars earned by Madonna over the years of their life together.

At the end of 1988, after four years of marriage, they divorced.


Madonna with Warren Beatty

Immediately after the divorce from Sean, Madonna's stormy romance followed with Warren Beatty, who was also an actor and a famous womanizer. By the way, Madonna started dating him while she was still married. But this union did not end in anything serious.

Later, Madonna became very close to Sandra Bernard, a famous comedienne. The singer was even suspected of having a non-traditional sexual orientation, but she resolutely denied these rumors.


Madonna with Sandra Bernard

At 38, Madonna finally became a mother. Madonna made an offer to personal sports trainer Carlos Leone to become the father of her child. She also asked him to undergo all necessary tests and monitor his health. The result of this obscene proposal is the daughter of Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon. Madonna wanted her daughter to be baptized by the Pope himself, but was refused.


With Carlos Leone (left), daughter - Lourdes Maria Ciccone Leon

Later, at Sting's party, she met Guy Ritchie, where Madonna mistook the English director Guy Ritchie for a nice guy from the outskirts of London. When the misunderstanding was resolved, Madonna was very embarrassed. This became the reason for a closer acquaintance.

The wedding celebration took place on December 22, 2000 in one of the most beautiful castles in Scotland, Skibo.


With Guy Ricci (left), son Rocco (right)

Soon, in the best medical center in Los Angeles, Madonna becomes a mother for the second time - she gave birth to a boy, Rocco. (By the way, Sting became the child’s godfather). In addition, the newlyweds also adopted a baby from a poor African family. However, this marriage did not last long. There were rumors that his marriage to Madonna was preventing Guy Ricci from creating film masterpieces. Be that as it may, it was Guy who insisted on a divorce, and in the fall of 2008 they divorced.


With Jesus Lucas. Daughter - Mercy James

Soon Madonna begins a new romance - this time with a young model from Brazil, Jesus Lucas. And in the summer of 2009, there was an addition to Madonna’s large family - the singer adopted a girl from Malawi, Mercy James.

Her words speak about the role that Madonna’s heirs play:

“The most important thing in life is children. It is in children's eyes that we can see the real world."


Madonna with her eldest daughter Lourdes and two adopted children

Let's gossip

Madonna's passion for black men and women can be called truly fatal. In the mid-90s, the singer, as mentioned above, was actively looking for a candidate to be the father of her child. The first of them was the outrageous basketball player Dennis Rodman. Tall, luxuriously built, Rodman seemed like the ideal father of an unborn child! But the lovers desperately did not have the same schedules. Madonna performed actively, and Rodman spent all his time on the basketball court. In this case, too, I had to forget about “fruitful work” on the offspring.


with Dennis Rodman (left), Tupac Shakur (right)

In 1996, Madonna dated rapper Tupac Shakur. A year before the murder of the black legend, he and Madonna began a short-term and stormy romance. But Tupac began to be reproached for dating a white woman, albeit an outstanding one. As a result, they had to break up.


Madonna with Naomi Campbell

There were rumors that in 1992 Madonna had an affair with... Naomi Campbell! The girls were often seen together not only at official ceremonies, but also at parties. However, Madonna and Naomi Campbell claim that they are connected exclusively by many years of warm friendship.

Perhaps this is just a myth, but Madonna has many more similar stories behind her...

  • Curious facts
  • At the age of 10, the future sex revolutionary was going to become a nun. “I wanted to lead a righteous life. But the very idea of ​​tonsure gave me ambivalent feelings. The more this story attracted me externally, the more it repulsed me internally.”
  • Older brothers Martin (who began living on the street in 2011) and Anthony constantly beat and bullied Madonna as a child. They took drugs from a young age. One of the brothers ran away from home and became an adherent of the Muna sect.
  • Madonna's mother was descended from French Canadians, and her father was Italian.
  • With the advent of big money, Madonna became interested in purchasing expensive real estate and art objects. She is one of the top 100 art collectors in the United States. Madonna has a house in Miami, and she recently bought another one in Los Angeles, while simultaneously selling her “pink estate” located in the Hollywood Hills. She owns a luxury apartment in New York worth more than $7 million.
  • Madonna always does the study of bank investments and accounts herself, without trusting anyone. She also participates in all negotiations related to her career.

Madonna Quotes:

They say that good things do not last forever, and sooner or later they come to an end. These are the words of people who have achieved nothing in life.
Madonna never regrets anything: “I made mistakes, but I learned from them.”
My fear of something usually means I have to do it.
I pulled myself up by the straps of my own bra.
I am my own experiment, and my own masterpiece.

All Quotes >>> Madonna


  • Studio albums
  • Madonna (1983)
  • Like a Virgin (1984)
  • True Blue (1986)
  • Like a Prayer (1989)
  • Erotica (1992)
  • Bedtime Stories (1994)
  • Ray of Light (1998)
  • Music (2000)
  • American Life (2003)
  • Confessions on a Dance Floor (2005)
  • Hard Candy (2008)
  • MDNA (2012)

Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone is an American singer-songwriter, dancer and actress, director, screenwriter and producer.

Major films directed by Madonna

  • The main films of the actor Madonna


    • short biography

      She was born on August 16, 1958 in Bay City, Michigan. Her father Silvio Ciccone was of Italian descent. He was a professional design engineer for one of the largest automobile companies in the world. The girl's mother, Madona Louise, was of Canadian-French origin. The family grew quickly. Madona was one of six children in the family. When little Madonna was barely five years old, her mother died of breast cancer. Soon the father married a second time, having two more children in his remarriage. The girl wanted to dance since childhood and persuaded her father to send her to ballet school. After receiving her dance education at Rochester Adams High School and the University of Michigan, she decided to move to the metropolis and continue her studies. So with 35 dollars in her pocket in 1977, Madonna found herself in New York. Later in an interview, she said that this move was the bravest act of her life. The girl’s desperate financial situation forced her to take the first part-time job she came across. The money came from working as a waiter and dancing.

      The first serious work was participation in the dance group of the French disco singer Patrick Hernandez during his world tour. Then Madonna became the creator of several musical groups in which she sang and played guitar or drums. These group performances attracted the girl's first attention from producers. Very quickly, Madonna stopped submitting to the conditions dictated by record companies and independently launched an entire advertising campaign for her project. As a result, the audio recording reached one of the recording companies owned by Warner Bros. Records. This is how Madonna’s first dance single, “Everybody,” was born. The composition instantly made it to the top of the best dance tracks. The second work released was the single “Burning Up,” which also became a hit, and Madonna got the opportunity to record a full-length album. In the early 80s, the aspiring singer became one of the trendsetters of youth fashion.

      In 1984, Madonna released her second studio album, Like a Virgin, which soon achieved multi-platinum status. In parallel with this, the singer performed several roles in films. The first was work in the drama “A Specific Victim” by Stefan John Lewicki. Filming took place even before the advent of popularity, and subsequently the actress repeatedly tried to ban the film. In 1985, Madonna appeared in Harold Becker's sports melodrama "Visual Quest" and Susan Seidelman's romantic comedy "Susan's Search in Vain." During the filming of the latter, actress Rosanna Arquette became Madonna's partner. During her work, she repeatedly complained about the excessive attention of others to the person of the popular singer, arguing that she did not want to star in Madonna’s two-hour video. A year later, the singer received the main role in the film adaptation of Tony Kernick’s novel “Faraday’s Flowers” ​​- “Shanghai Surprise”. In this adventure film, Madonna appeared before the audience in the image of a sister of mercy of an evangelical mission. For this role, she was nominated for the Golden Raspberry anti-award and received the title of worst actress. Her co-star in the film was Sean Penn. This was no accident. By that time, a serious relationship had already developed between the actors. Back in 1985, the couple legalized their relationship. But the relentless interest of the press destroyed the relationship. Tabloid publications quickly dubbed Sean "Mr. Madonna." After lasting four years, the marriage ended in a high-profile divorce.

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