Although Paula Ciccone was previously interested in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry and now works for a family business, she's not exactly what comes to mind when you think of nepotism. One of her sisters, Madonna, is one of the most famous pop stars in the world, but Paula now lives a relatively quiet life as a winemaker. In a resurfaced video, Paula admitted that she previously envied her sister — at least a little bit.
At the time, Paula wanted to be a model. During the resurfaced interview, she said that Madonna's fame actually made it harder to achieve her goals. Additionally, Madonna's career made communicating with her more challenging for Paula and other members of their family.
In the resurfaced clip, Paula spoke to Oprah Winfrey about how she tried to launch a modeling career, but it felt difficult to break into the industry when Madonna was already succeeding in the entertainment industry. "It’s hard because I'm putting myself in the same place she is," she said at the time.
Madonna's success did not surprise her at all, but she was still a bit envious of her sister, she admitted.
Paula told Oprah that on some level, she always knew that Madonna would be successful. Oprah asked her if Madonna was always singing when they were growing up, but Paula said she was not. Paula had another reason for thinking that her sister might become famous one day: She always wanted to be the center of attention.
While Paula admitted that she was somewhat jealous of Madonna's success, her jealousy was not necessarily provoked by Madonna becoming famous.
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"Everybody wants their own level of success, whatever they’re doing," Paula said at the time. But she also added that "it doesn’t matter if they’re famous or not."
"I mean, I have other successful brothers and sisters and I may be just as envious, but maybe it’s not so apparent because nobody knows about what they’re doing," Paula explained.
Paula also talked about how Madonna's fame impacted her relationship with members of her family. "The power that they get outside of the family tends to come home with them," Paula explained at the time. "So whenever they come home, there's always this barrier."
Breaking through that barrier can also be a challenge, she said.
"You have to get through the barrier, and then you can start talking to them," she said, adding that the famous person — in this case, Madonna — also has to be "willing" to engage in that way. Frankly, that is often not the case because of the comfort celebrities might get used to, she explained.
"Let's face it: when you get in a situation where you're being treated really well, it's really hard to put it aside and just be a person," Paula said at the time. "It's also hard to talk to that person as a person if they're not willing.”
Madonna and her seven siblings all grew up in Michigan. Paula is not the only sibling who now works for the family vineyard, the Ciccone Vineyard and Winery. According to People, Madonna's brother Mario and her sister Jennifer also help support the family business.
