Madonna’s brother Christopher Ciccone, has died at the age of 63.
The two worked closely together throughout the Queen of Pop’s career, but had a falling out in 2008 with the publication of Christopher’s bombshell book Life With My Sister Madonna.
Madonna’s brother Christopher Ciccone’s death comes after their stepmother, Joan Clare Ciccone, died on September 24 after a brief but aggressive battle with cancer.
Madonna’s brother Christopher worked as a designer, artist and director throughout his career, organising concert tours and directing music videos, as well as working as an interior and furniture designer.
‘He was an extremely talented man with a wicked sense of humor,’ one friend said.
Once Madonna’s closest sibling, Christopher began his career as her assistant, dresser, stylist and artistic director.
Madonna and Christopher grew up together in Michigan and learned to dance together.
Then Christopher followed Madonna to New York, where she began her long journey to wealth and superstardom.
Christopher has been Madonna’s personal assistant and dresser, her interior decorator and artistic director of her show-stopping world tours.
But the siblings relationship hadn’t been without difficulties, with Christopher writing a tell-all book about his relationship with his sister – where he claimed Guy Ritchie ‘drove at him’ and admitted the pair ‘never got along’.
He also claimed Madonna’s romance with the British director was ‘death knell for my relationship with her’.
He added that the Material Girl hitmaker was ‘a middle-class girl who propagates the story that she landed in Times Square with just a pair of ballet shoes and $35 to her name’, adding that is ‘pure mythology and the further she progresses, the more mythological her life story becomes’.
Like his brothers, he has also struggled with alcohol and drug abuse – with Madonna paying for his stints in rehab.
She dropped him as her tour director in 2003, then his tell-all memoir, Life With My Sister Madonna, was published in 2008.
In 2016, he married British hairdresser Ray Thacker.
His relationship with his sister appeared on the mend by 2012, according to an interview with Evening Standard.
‘[We are] on a perfectly personable level right now. As far as I’m concerned, we’re good,’ he said.
‘We are in contact with each other, although I haven’t seen her for a long time. We’re back to being a brother and sister. I don’t work for her, and it’s better this way.’
Additionally, he stated his pride for his sister: ‘I couldn’t be more proud of her. She is a force to be reckoned with.
Does she have Barbra Streisand’s voice? No. Can she dance like Martha Graham? Probably not. But the combination of her abilities has made her great, and left a huge legacy for her, and through her, for me. So yeah, God bless her.’