Madonna has broken her silence to pay tribute to her brother Christopher Ciccone, who sadly died earlier this week at the age of 63 after a battle with cancer
Madonna has shared a poignant message on her Instagram following the passing of her beloved brother, Christopher Ciccone, who died at 63 from cancer.
The grief-stricken pop legend, 66, penned a heartfelt tribute alongside a series of personal images. She began with: “My brother Christopher is gone. He was the closest human to me for so long. Its hard to explain our bond.”
In her moving continuation, she said: “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 further reminisced about how a ballet academy had been a sanctuary for herself and Christopher, stating: “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. When I finally got the courage to go to New York to become a dancer, my brother followed.”
“And again we took each other’s hands, and we danced through the madness of New York City! We devoured Art and Music And Film like hungry animals. We were in the epicenter of all of these things exploding. We danced through the madness of the AIDS epidemic. We went to funerals and we cried, and we went dancing. We danced together on stage in the beginning of my career and eventually, he became the Creative Director, of many tours. When it came to good taste, my brother was the Pope, and you had to kiss the ring to get his blessing.”, reports the Mirror.
The pop legend recounted how they “defied” various authorities, including the Roman Catholic Church and the police. She shared that her brother was her steadfast companion during her climb to stardom.
“He was a painter a poet and a visionary,” she enthused. “I admired him. He had impeccable taste. And a sharp tongue, which he sometimes used against me but I always forgave him. We soared the highest heights together and floundered in the lowest lows.”
She acknowledged that no matter what, they “always found each other again”. She continued to describe the challenging times they endured, including periods when they were estranged. However, she disclosed that her brother’s illness brought them back together.
“I did my best to keep him alive as long as possible,” she admitted. “He was in so much pain towards the end. Once again, we held hands. We closed our eyes and we danced. Together.”
Madonna concluded by expressing relief that her brother’s suffering had ended, stating: “I’m glad he’s not suffering anymore.. There will never be anyone like him. I know he’s dancing somewhere.”
This devastating news came shortly after the passing of their stepmother, Joan Clare Ciccone, who lost her battle with cancer on September 24.