Madonna Pays Tribute to Late Brother Christopher Ciccone: ‘The Closest Human to Me for So Long’

Madonna made a touching statement following the news of the death of her brother, Christopher Ciccone.

“My brother Christopher is gone,” she captioned an Instagram post on Sunday, October 6, which featured a carousel of photos of the two of them. “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.”

Ciccone died of cancer on Friday, October 4, at the age of 63, his family confirmed in a statement to Us. He was surrounded by his loved ones, including his husband, Ray Thacker, whom he married in 2016.

In her post, the Grammy-winning singer, 66, gave details about their childhood together growing up in Michigan.

“Discovering Dance in our small Midwestern town saved me and then my brother came along, and it saved him too” she wrote. “{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.”

Madonna and Christopher were known to have a rocky relationship over the years, which she also addressed in her Instagram post.

“The last few years have not been easy,” she wrote. “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.I’m glad he’s not suffering anymore. There will never be anyone like him.
I know he’s dancing somewhere.”

Christopher had himself acknowledged publicly that the two had an up-and-down relationship over the years; however, in 2012, he noted: “As far as I’m concerned, we’re good,” speaking to the Evening Standard. “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.”

Christopher is survived by his father, Silvio Ciccone, as well as his and Madonna’s other siblings Martin, Paula, Melanie, Jennifer and Mario. (Brother Anthony also died in February 2023.).

Christopher’s death on Friday came days weeks after his and Madonna’s stepmother, Joan Clare Ciccone, died after a battle with a “very aggressive cancer” at age 81. Joan, who was married to Silvio Ciccone for 58 years, “passed away peacefully” on September 24, per an online obituary.

“She will be terribly missed by her family and friends whose lives she enriched with her enthusiasm, joy and love,” the obituary read.