Madonna's brother, Christopher Ciccone, has passed away at the age of 63. Christopher succumbed to cancer on Friday in Michigan, his representative confirmed to The Post on Sunday.
The 66-year-old music icon, Madonna, expressed her grief in a heartfelt statement on Sunday. She said, "My brother Christopher is gone. He was the closest human to me for so long. It's hard to explain our bond. But it grew out of an understanding that we were different and society was going to give us a hard time for not following the status quo."
Madonna continued, "We took each other's hands and we danced through the madness of our childhood. In fact, dance was a kind of superglue that held us together." She added, "Discovering dance in our small Midwestern town saved me and then my brother came along, and it saved him too."
In a lengthy message shared via social media, Madonna mentioned, "The last few years have not been easy. We did not speak for some time but when my brother got sick, we found our way back to each other." She further stated, "I did my best to keep him alive as long as possible. He was in so much pain towards the end. Once again, we held hands, we closed our eyes, and we danced. Together."
Christopher's husband, British hairdresser Ray Thacker, was by his side when he passed away, according to his representative. Christopher's death occurred less than two weeks after the passing of his and Madonna's stepmother, Joan Clare Ciccone, from cancer. The siblings also lost their brother, Anthony Ciccone, in February 2023.
Christopher was an artist, interior decorator, and designer. He served as the art director on Madonna's Blond Ambition World Tour in 1990 and was the tour director for her The Girlie Show in 1993. He also directed music videos for Dolly Parton and Tony Bennett in the 1990s.
The brother-sister duo had a falling out, which Christopher detailed in his 2008 book, "Life With My Sister Madonna," which became a New York Times bestseller. Christopher claimed that Madonna outed him in her 1991 interview with The Advocate. He also accused Madonna's ex-husband, Guy Ritchie, of being homophobic.
Madonna's representative, Liz Rosenberg, stated that the singer didn't read the tell-all and found it "very upsetting" that Christopher "decided to sell a book based on his sister." Rosenberg added, "I would have to assume she has come to terms with the fact that they do not have a close and loving relationship. And with the book coming out, I assume that will remove the chances of that ever happening."
Christopher addressed his relationship with Madonna in a 2012 interview, stating, "As far as I'm concerned, we're good. We are in contact with each other, although I haven't seen her for a long time. We're back to being a brother and sister. I don't work for her, and it's better this way."
Madonna tragically lost her stepmother shortly before Christopher's death. Joan Clare Ciccone passed away peacefully on September 24th, 2024, after a brief encounter with a very aggressive cancer. She was married to Christopher and Madonna's father, Silvio, for 58 years.
