Madonna pays tribute to brother Christopher Ciccone after his death at 63
American artist Christopher Ciccone, the brother of superstar Madonna, died from cancer on Friday, according to his family. He was 63.
Christopher Ciccone, an American artist and the brother of pop icon Madonna, passed away from cancer on Friday at the age of 63, according to his family.
His family released a statement on Sunday, noting that Ciccone “died peacefully,” surrounded by his husband and loved ones. On the same day, Madonna paid tribute to her brother on Instagram, reflecting on their unique bond, despite the ups and downs in their relationship.
"My brother Christopher is gone," wrote Madonna, 66. "He was the person closest to me for so long."
The singer shared that explaining her connection with her brother was challenging, but emphasized that it "grew from an understanding that we were different, and society would make it hard for us because we didn’t follow the norm."
She reminisced, "We held each other’s hands and danced through the chaos of our childhood."
Madonna also posted several photos of her and Ciccone throughout the years, along with some of his artwork, and noted that dance was the "superglue" of their relationship.
During his career, Ciccone was a painter, writer, and served as the art director for Madonna's 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour. He was also her backup dancer, stylist, and creative consultant. Madonna described him as "a painter, a poet, and a visionary."
Reflecting on their early lives, she wrote, "Dance saved me in our small Midwestern town, and then my brother followed, and it saved him too."
She described how ballet classes became a "safe space" for a young Ciccone to express his identity as a gay man, something rarely acknowledged in their community.
The siblings eventually moved together from Rochester, Michigan, to New York City, where they immersed themselves in art, music, and film, while also navigating the chaos of the AIDS epidemic. Madonna recounted how they “defied the Roman Catholic Church, the police, the Moral Majority, and every authority figure that stood in the way of artistic freedom.”
She acknowledged that their relationship had been strained in recent years, especially after the release of his 2008 memoir Life with My Sister Madonna, which she opposed. The book detailed their childhood and professional collaborations and included never-before-seen family photos.
Despite the distance between them, Madonna said they reconnected when Ciccone became ill. "The last few years were tough. We didn’t speak for some time, but when my brother got sick, we found our way back to each other."
She added, "I did everything I could to keep him alive for as long as possible. He was in a lot of pain toward the end." In a final reflection, she wrote, "Once again, we held hands, closed our eyes, and danced."
Madonna expressed gratitude that her brother was no longer suffering and ended her tribute by saying, "There will never be anyone like him. I know he’s dancing somewhere."
In a statement to ABC News, Ciccone's family recalled how his personal and creative identities blossomed in Rochester, Michigan, where he and his siblings grew up. They highlighted how Ciccone later moved to New York City, where he worked as a dancer and choreographer to support Madonna’s early career.
Ciccone is remembered as "an interior specialist, a footwear designer, a memoirist," and as someone who was deeply dedicated to painting, which was his main form of personal expression.
He is survived by his husband, Ray Thacker, whom he married in 2016, as well as several siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Ciccone’s death comes just weeks after the passing of his and Madonna’s stepmother, Joan Ciccone, who also succumbed to cancer. Earlier in 2023, Madonna’s older brother, Anthony Ciccone, died at the age of 66.