Madonna posts heartbreaking tribute to her brother, Christopher Ciccone.
Christopher Ciccone, the gay brother of Madonna, has died at the age of 63. Representatives have confirmed he died October 4 following a battle with cancer at home in Michigan, surrounded by loved ones, including his husband, Ray Thacker.
Ciccone and elder sister Madonna were very close growing up. He acted as a creative consultant and backup dancer for the pop star during her 80s and early 90s heyday. However, they later fell out, with Madonna dropping him as her creative director in 2003. Ciccone penned a memoir entitled, Life With My Sister Madonna in 2008, which drove a further wedge between them.
Ciccone also worked as an interior and furniture designer and as an artist.
On Instagram, Madonna posted a lengthy message paying tribute to Christopher.
“My brother Christopher is gone,” she said. “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.
“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 continued.
“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,” she said. “A word that was not spoken or even whispered where we lived.”