The first time she stepped in New York in 1978, Michigan-born Madonna had a series of traumatizing experiences. In an article for Harper's Bazaar, the pop queen reveals that the sparkling city did not welcome her with open arms. 

"The first year, I was held up at gunpoint. Raped on the roof of a building I was dragged up to with a knife in my back, and had my apartment broken into three times. I don't know why; I had nothing of value after they took my radio the first time," reveals Madonna who just 20 when she experienced such things. 

Prior to becoming a professional dancer, Madonna likewise posed nude for several art classes just to pay for her rent. Now hailed as one of the highest paid celebrities of all time, it is evident that Madonna's hard work and persistence have paid off. 

The 'Like A Virgin' songtress similarly detailed her conversion to the Kabbalah faith which taught her to become a better person. Her renewed faith similarly motivated her to adopt two children from Malawi. However, such decision was faced with criticisms which surprised the 55-year-old music icon. 

"Trying to save a child's life was not something I thought I would be punished for. I decided that I had an embarrassment of riches and that there were too many children in the world without parents or families to love them. I applied to an international adoption agency and went through all the bureaucracy, testing, and waiting that everyone else goes through when they adopt. As fate would have it, in the middle of this process a woman reached out to me from a small country in Africa called Malawi, and told me about the millions of children orphaned by Aids," details the songstress. 

She is currently in New York with her four children - Lourdes, 16, Rocco, 13, and her two adopted children from Malawi, David Banda, 8, and Mercy James, 7.