Madonna Pays Heartbreaking Tribute to Brother Christopher Ciccone After His Sad Passing
She opened up about what he meant to her.
Madonna has paid a heart-wrenching tribute to her brother Christopher Ciccone, who sadly passed away on Oct. 4 at the age of 63.
Christopher died as a result of his battle with cancer, a representative confirmed to TMZ. He passed away surrounded by his husband Ray Thacker and loved ones.
"My brother Christopher is gone," the popstar wrote on Instagram on Oct. 6 alongside a beautiful set of photos of herself with her younger brother.
"He was the closest human to me for so long. Its 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 went on to describe what bonded the two of them most: their love of dance. Christopher was famously one of her backup dancers towards the beginning of her career, before serving as a show designer, dresser, and then artistic director on the singer's tours, per TMZ.
"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," Madonna wrote.
"Discovering Dance in our small Midwestern town saved me and then my brother came along, and it saved him too. My ballet Teacher, also named Christopher- created a safe space for my brother to be Gay. a word that was not spoken or even whispered where we lived.
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
"When I finally got the courage to go to New York to become a Dancer. My brother followed. And again we took each other’s hands, and we danced through the madness of New York City!"
Madonna and Christopher were estranged for years before his death, having fallen out following the release of his autobiography, Life With My Sister Madonna, according to E! News.
"We soared the highest heights together. And floundered in the lowest lows," she wrote on Instagram.
"Somehow, we always found each other again and We held hands and we kept dancing. The last few years have not been easy. We did not speak for sometime but When my brother got sick. We found our way back to each other.
"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."
She concluded, "I’m glad he’s not suffering anymore. There will never be anyone like him. I know he’s dancing somewhere."
A post shared by Madonna (@madonna)
A photo posted by on
Condolences poured in from the likes of Julia Fox, Katy Perry, Jerrod Blandino, Perez Hilton, Zoe Saldana and Donatella Versace.
Tragically, Christopher's marks the third death from cancer in Madonna's family in less than two years. People reported that her stepmother Joan Ciccone passed away from cancer just two weeks ago, at the age of 81, and Madonna's oldest brother, Anthony Ciccone, died from cancer in February 2023. The singer's brother-in-law, Joe Henry, announced Anthony's passing on Instagram, and penned a moving tribute to him at the time.
Madonna herself experienced a health scare last year, postponing dates from her tour amid a stay in the ICU for a "serious bacterial infection."
A post shared by Madonna (@madonna)
A photo posted by on
Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of British Vogue, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Refinery29 and SELF. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
-
Zara Tindall Puts a Purple Velvet Spin on Holiday Suiting
Chic and cozy—what's not to like? Who says only men get to wear suits at Christmas?
By Alicia Lutes Published
-
Gigi Hadid's Scarf Is Ideal for This Too-Cold-to-Function December
She looked cozy and chic on a downtown errand run.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
Fans Have a Lot of Thoughts on Whether Sandy and Nick's Chaotic Relationship Will—or Should—Survive 'The Ultimatum'
They're by far the most controversial couple on season 3.
By Quinci LeGardye Published
-
Madonna Eats "F*** Trump" Cake and Shares Her Upset Over the Election
Madge has made her thoughts very clear.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Madonna Supports Son Rocco at His Art Exhibition Weeks After Her Brother's Passing
A happy moment.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Madonna's Previously Shelved Biopic Has Been Revived—and It Even Has a Title
Madonna herself teased the project on social media, which was previously put on ice back in January 2023.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Courtney Love Says Taylor Swift Is "Not Important" and "Not Interesting as an Artist"
Wow, saying that is... a choice.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Madonna Calls Out Fan for Sitting at Her Concert Before Realizing They're in a Wheelchair
The interaction is hard to watch.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Madonna Speaks Onstage About That One Time She Forcefully Told God “No” While in the Throes of a Near-Death Experience
The performer gave a spontaneous nine-minute speech last night in L.A. that ran the gamut.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Madonna Gives the Ageist Haters a Piece of Her Mind in New Ad Campaign
Tell 'em!
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Madonna Playfully Confronts Bravo’s Andy Cohen From the Stage During A Celebration Tour Stop In Brooklyn
“If you say one more bad thing about me on your show…you’re gonna get in so much trouble.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published