Madonna's brother Christopher Ciccone, who was on her arm at so many events in the past and who danced behind her at many of her early solo club gigs, has died at 63.
He had battled pancreatic cancer. Cancer also took their mom, was partly responsible for her oldest sibling Anthony's 2023 death and recently killed their stepmom, Joan, who died September 24, just two months after a liver-cancer diagnosis.
Christopher's death 10 days later — while the entire family's still mourning Joan — will be a big blow to them. This is why, when I happened to confirm his death, I decided not to report it publicly. Instead, I posted some nostalgic images, looking past the negativity he had with his sister. My assumption was his death would be announced shortly. It took time, when meant my posts were suddenly “vague-posting,” and in that time, a lot of people became angry — they wanted a confirmation, or they wanted to assert people who did announce it were lying. I read a lot of people asserting he was alive because of Wikipedia, and others claiming to still be speaking to him.
I'm not sure Christopher would have hated the attention — and I mean that warmly. It's just sad that an era has truly ended.
As Madonna watchers well know, Madonna's brother Christopher was always special to her. He came to NYC to dance, following in her footsteps, and stayed with her.
Years later, Madonna — in true Madonna style — accidentally outed her brother in her mesmerizing and history-making 1991 interview with Don Shewey for The Advocate, in which she spoke of how queer people always made her feel seen:
It's not conscious, it just happened. My brother Christopher's gay, and he and I have always been the closest members of my family.
@boyculturedotcom Madonna intro’ing brother Christopher Ciccone in 1984 on a very early TV gig. #madonna #christopherciccone #dance #music #boyculture #encyclopediamadonnica ♬ original sound - Matthew Rettenmund/BoyCulture
I know I must speak for a lot of other little gay boys when I say we saw Christopher, way back then, as sort of our stand-in, our gay in her orbit. I know I felt a bit closer to Madonna knowing she had a gay sib who she loved and on whom she lavished attention.
Along with stylist and dancer Erika Belle, Ciccone appears in his sister's iconic “Lucky Star” video, and can be seen in so, so TV performances from around that time.
The Ciccone boys, by Bruce Weber:
In a 1993 interview on the Australian talk show Hinch, Christopher humbly conceded:
At that point, I was really just concerned about paying rent. So, it was really just dancing around. I mean, it was nothing specific or, frankly, that interesting.
But his role increased, and he admitted:
You just sort of get caught in the movement upward.
(Image via Warner Bros.)
In 1989, Ciccone's painting of a primitive Catholic Madonna figure adorned the cover of the 12" single of “Like a Prayer.” As it was released during her divorce from Sean Penn, the figure bore MLVC above it — representing Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone — with one wayward P for Penn having fallen away.
@boyculturedotcom Classic movie moment as Madonna is warned of possible arrest for miming masturbation onstage in Toronto during “Blond Ambition” (1990), captured in 1991’s “Truth or Dare” (1991). #christopherciccone #madonna #blondambition #boyculture #encyclopediamadonnica ♬ original sound - Matthew Rettenmund/BoyCulture
For his work on her most important tour, 1990's Blond Ambition, he was credited as artistic director. Three years later, for her Girlie Show outing, his credit read, Entire Production Directed & Designed by Christopher Ciccone.”
He also directed music videos for Albita, Dolly Parton (an unreleased “Peace Train” video), and Tony Bennett in the '90s.
Ciccone settled into a career as an interior decorator, his work on his sister's New York apartment the subject of an Architectural Digest cover in October 1991. His dual role as family member and employee led to discord between the siblings, as was extensively aired in his tell-all memoir Life with My Sister Madonna in 2008. The book put their relationship on ice for years, but by all accounts, they had reconciled long ago.
Christopher's work on Madonna's NYC pad was legendary. (Image via AD)
Upon the launch of his own lifestyle brand in 2012, Ciccone told The Evening Standard:
As far as I’m concerned, we’re good. 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.
He was preceded in death by his mother during his childhood, by his brother Anthony just last year, and by his stepmother Joan last week.
Ciccone is survived by his husband, actor Ray Thacker; by his father; by his four siblings and two half-siblings; and by many nieces and nephews.
Condolences to Madonna and her entire family.
Christopher's obit, as written by his husband, was added to IG on October 7:
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