 While researching the book , Taraborrelli realized that one of the greatest misconceptions about Madonna was the general perception that she was cold and unemotional in her personal relationships . The opposite proved true ; Madonna was indeed emotionally vulnerable , and Taraborelli cited as an example the icon 's 1990 relationship with actor Warren Beatty . Their relationship was generally perceived as nothing more than a means to promote their film Dick Tracy , and Madonna was regarded under the circumstances as opportunistic . Taraborelli discovered however that Madonna actually had strong feelings for Beatty . The actor however was not as emotionally invested as Madonna , and the relationship ended with her heart being broken . Taraborelli observed , " So , what I think will surprise people with this story are the many times that Madonna has ended up feeling alone and rejected . She has built her entire career on an image of indestructibility . But at least in her personal life , and again , I make that distinction , because this isn 't necessarily true in her business life , she is one of the most fragile subjects I 've ever written about ... This book is really about placing her life into the proper historical context , and once again answering the why questions about her . " 
