prima donna
Italian for first lady. It is the lead soprano in an opera, and nothing about it precedes anyone.
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Wrong: He’s being a total premadonna.
Right: He’s being a total prima donna.
Prima donna is the lead soprano. That is the whole joke you are making.
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Wrong: Classic pre-madonna behavior.
Right: Classic prima donna behavior.
Nothing comes before anything. Prima is Italian for first.
Where it comes from
Opera. The prima donna is the company’s leading soprano—the first lady, top of the bill. Because leading sopranos acquired a certain reputation, the title slid into an insult for anyone who behaves as though the production exists to serve them.
Why the wrong one survives
Because pre and Madonna are both things you have heard of, and the sentence still scans if you do not stop to look at it. Written down it stops scanning immediately.
There is no Madonna in it, and nothing is happening beforehand.
In fairness
The plural is prima donnas. Italian would want prime donne, and you are not speaking Italian, so do not do that at anyone.
Try not to be such a premadonna about it.