He was the closest human to me for so long

Madonna has shared a heartfelt tribute to her brother Christopher Ciccone, who has died at the age of 63.

News of his passing was confirmed by family representatives, who disclosed that he died in Michigan on Friday (October 4) from cancer.

The pop icon, who was two years older than Christopher, has posted a touching, personal message on her Instagram account, revealing how close they were growing up and during their early careers.

Alongside a series of photos of the two of them together throughout the years, she wrote: “My brother Christopher is gone. 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. 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, 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,” she continued. “We went to funerals and we cried, and we went dancing.

Christopher worked closely with his sister early on in her career, serving as the art director on her Blond Ambition World Tour in 1990 and as the tour director on 1993’s The Girlie Show tour.

Madonna and Christopher Ciccone at the Jean Paul Gaultier Gallery in July 1990 in Paris, France. (Photo by ARNAL/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

“When it came to good taste, my brother was the Pope, and you had to kiss the ring to get his blessing,” she added. “We defied the Roman Catholic Church, the Police, the Moral Majority and all Authority figures that got in the way of Artistic freedom! My brother was right by my side. He was a painter a poet and a visionary. I admired him. He had impeccable taste. And a sharp tongue, Which he sometimes used against me but I always forgave him.”

Christopher published his memoir Life With My Sister Madonna in 2008, which became a New York Times bestseller. The book caused some friction within the family, with Ciccone writing about the personal toil his sister went through during her relationship and subsequent breakup with film director Guy Ritchie. It is thought that the brother and sister fell out as a result of the memoir.

“The last few years have not been easy,” Madonna’s tribute continued. “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.”

In addition to his work with Madonna, Christopher was an artist, interior decorator and designer, and also directed music videos for artists including Dolly Parton (for 1997’s ‘Peace Train’) and Tony Bennett (1997’s ‘God Bless The Child’).

His passing comes less than two weeks after the death of Joan Clare Ciccone, Christopher and Madonna’s stepmother, also from cancer. The siblings’ eldest brother Anthony also passed away in February 2023.

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