Madonna: Finally uncovered

Sunday Mirror, Feb 4, 2001

Madonna was also openly affectionate to Camille,

"She would actually sit on my lap," says Camille. "She needs to feel physically close to other women. Her mother's death is still doing a number on her." But if Camille was a substitute mother figure, Madonna also liked to play the spoilt brat.

Once when Camille was out of town, Madonna took care of her poodles. When Camille came back she found "sex" had been spray- painted on one of them and "f***" on the other. The reason? Madonna was bored.

Madonna the wannabe star also had a variety of other ways of making sure she left her mark and was not forgotten.

"The first meeting we had with the William Morris agency was at a Japanese restaurant," Camille says. "We were sitting there, talking, and Madonna let out the most gigantic belch in the world and everybody looked at her and she just smiled and laughed.

"Other times, I'd be meeting in my office and she'd come in and start shaving her armpits in the mirror. It was all about shock value. She'd make me laugh and make me shake my head and sometimes she'd make me really angry."

Madonna, she says, pushed her to the limits of her finances, patience and loyalty and as her career started to gather pace, there were many screaming matches.

The singer then went behind Camille's back and started recording songs with Bray - who remains a friend and songwriter to this day.

In 1982 Madonna called Camille to a meeting with her new lawyer and she was fired. The sacking bankrupted her. Years later Madonna tried to make her peace with a phone call.

"You're a bitch. I'm a bitch, but we work well together," she told Camille. "So let's find a job for you." Camille declined the offer and they haven't spoken since. She is sad, she says, but not bitter.

Perhaps with Camille in mind, Madonna once said: "Sometimes I travel through people, but I think that's true of most ambitious people. If people can't go with me - whether it's a physical or emotional move - I feel sad about that. That's part of the tragedy of love."

Next on the long list of stepping stones to the top was John "Jellybean" Benitez, a musician and DJ at a disco called Funland when he met Madonna.

It was the spring of 1983 and Madonna was smitten. Erica Bell recalls: "The only time I saw her cry hysterically over a guy was after they had a fight and Jellybean stormed out."

They became engaged and she would often tell Erica that she was going to marry Jellybean and have his baby.

"Madonna had several abortions when she was with Jellybean, at least three that I know of," says Erica.

In July 1983 her first album Madonna was released and was dedicated to her father. By the end of the year she had her first hit, Holiday, a song Jellybean wrote for her.

The Material Girl was at last on her way.