Madonna talks out in the wake of her brother Christopher Ciccone’s death at 63. Madonna’s brother, Christopher Ciccone, died. He was 63. Christopher “died peacefully” of cancer on Friday in Michigan, his representative told The Post on Sunday. On Sunday, the 66-year-old music icon issued an emotional statement in response to the loss of Ciccone.
“My brother Christopher has gone. For a long time, he was the person closest to me. It’s difficult to explain our closeness. But it arose from recognizing that we were unique and that society would penalize us for deviating from the norm.”
“Discovering dance in our small Midwestern town saved me, and then my brother came along, and it saved him too.” In a lengthy message posted on social media, Madonna said, “The last several years have not been easy. We did not communicate for a while, but then my brother became ill. “We found our way back together.”
“I did my utmost to keep him alive for as long as possible. He was in so much pain by the end. We held hands again, closed our eyes, and danced. Together.” According to his representative, Christopher’s “loving” husband, British hairstylist Ray Thacker, was “faithfully by his side” when he passed away. Christopher’s death comes less than two weeks after his and Madonna’s stepmother, Joan Clare Ciccone, died from cancer. The siblings also lost their brother, Anthony Ciccone, in February 2023.
Christopher was an artist, interior decorator, and designer. He worked as the art director for Madonna’s Blond Ambition World Tour in 1990 and the tour director for The Girlie Show in 1993. He also directed music videos for Dolly Parton and Tony Bennett during the 1990s.
The brother-sister combo had a falling out, which Christopher detailed in his 2008 autobiographical book, “Life With My Sister Madonna,” which became a New York Times bestseller.
Christopher claimed Madonna outed him in a 1991 interview with The Advocate when she stated, “My brother Christopher is gay, and he and I have always been the closest members of my family.” He also accused Madonna’s ex-husband, Guy Ritchie, of homophobia. They were married from 2000 to 2008.
In addition, Christopher stated that the “turning point” in his relationship with the Grammy Award winner occurred when she took cameras to their mother’s grave for her 1991 documentary “Truth or Dare.” Madonna’s representative, Liz Rosenberg, told the Associated Press that the singer had not read the tell-all and found it “very upsetting” that Christopher “decided to sell a book based on his sister.” Rosenberg continued, “I’d have to believe she’s accepted that they don’t have a tight and loving connection. And with the book coming out, I believe that will eliminate the possibility of that ever happening.”
Christopher spoke about his relationship with the “Vogue” singer in a 2012 interview with The Evening Standard. “As far as I am concerned, we’re fine. We communicated even though I had not seen her in a long time. We’re back to being brother and sister. Madonna tragically lost her stepmother just before Christopher died. “Joan Clare Ciccone passed away quietly early in the morning of September 24th, 2024, after a brief battle with a very severe cancer,” according to an online obituary. “She will be greatly missed by her family and friends whose lives she enriched with passion, joy, and love.”
