In her heyday, Madonna was easily among the globe’s biggest stars. That fame still follows the 66-year-old icon, decades later, and it even rubs off on those closest to her.
Madonna reached insane levels of fame back in the ’80s, and her popularity never truly faded. You might think a woman in her mid-60s would slow down a touch, but this particular powerhouse is still selling out stadiums and dazzling fans with global tours. Her latest, The Celebration Tour, kicked off in October of 2023 and ran all the way to May of 2024. It consisted of a whopping 81 separate shows across two legs, and netted an impressive $225.4 million, according to Billboard.
In the months since the tour concluded, however, the longtime Queen of Pop has had a rough time of it. She’s been forced to say goodbye to two of her brothers — one in 2023 and one in 2024 — with her younger brother, Christopher Ciccone, passing just weeks after the siblings said goodbye to their stepmother, Joan. Following reports of his death, Madonna took to social media to share a lengthy and heartfelt tribute to her lost little sibling, who left the world far too soon at only 63 years old.
How did Christopher Ciccone die?
Madonna made clear, in an early October post to Instagram, that her little brother Christopher was among her favorite people on the planet. Noting that “he was the closest human to me for so long,” the award-winning singer gushed over the connection she and Christopher long shared, expressing that across their lives, “We soared the highest heights together/And floundered in the lowest lows.”
The 66-year-old closed off her emotional post with the painful acknowledgement that her brother has left this world. “I’m glad he’s not suffering anymore,” she wrote. “There will never be anyone like him. I know he’s dancing somewhere.”
The heartbreaking tribute to a man who clearly inspired Madonna across his life hit fans right in the feels, and prompted a wave of well-wishes and condolences from fans, celebrities, and friends alike. It also prompted questions, particularly following Madonna’s notes that her brother “got sick” and “was in so much pain towards the end.”
Even staggering fame isn’t enough to protect a person, or their family, from the ravages of time, and unfortunately cancer doesn’t see wealth or influence. Madonna’s best efforts weren’t enough to stop her brother from getting cancer, and even through the excellent medical care he no doubt received, Ciccone eventually lost his lengthy battle with late-stage cancer in early October 2024.
He’d been fighting for years, by the time he died, but Ciccone was lucky enough to pass “peacefully and surrounded by family,” according to a representative. He’ll be well-remembered not as the brother of a pop icon, but as an icon himself — Ciccone is broadly known for his own artistic talents, both as an artist and an interior designer. He had a hand in many of the unforgettable projects Madonna created, as her occasional creative director, and she’s not the only musical sensation to collaborate with him. You’ll also recognize his work mixed into Dolly Parton and Tony Bennett’s various works, establishing him as a titan of the industry, entirely separate from his mega-famous sister.