Madonna has shared a deeply emotional tribute to her brother, Christopher Ciccone, following his passing from cancer at the age of 63 on October 4 in Michigan. In a heartfelt Instagram post, Madonna reflected on their close and complicated relationship, sharing a series of photos of them together and remembering their unique bond. “My brother Christopher is gone. He was the closest human to me for so long,” she began.
Madonna’s tribute emphasized how dance and creativity were central to their connection, especially growing up in a small Midwestern town where they both felt different. She recalled how discovering dance “saved” both of them and how her ballet teacher, also named Christopher, provided a safe space for her brother to embrace his identity as a gay man during a time when it wasn’t openly discussed.
Their journey together continued into adulthood when Madonna moved to New York to pursue her dreams of becoming a dancer, with Christopher following her. In the city, they immersed themselves in the vibrant art and music scene, becoming, as she described, “the epicenter of all of these things exploding.”
Madonna also reflected on the toll of the AIDS epidemic, during which they lost many friends. Despite the grief, the two found solace in dance and creativity, with Christopher becoming the creative director for many of Madonna’s tours early in her career. She referred to his impeccable taste, calling him “the Pope” of good taste, humorously stating that “you had to kiss the ring to get his blessing.”
While acknowledging that the last few years of their relationship had been strained, Madonna expressed gratitude for reconciling with Christopher when he became ill. She described their final moments together, saying, “Once again, we held hands. We closed our eyes and we danced. Together.”
Her poignant tribute concluded with peace knowing he’s no longer in pain, adding, “I know he’s dancing somewhere.” This post revealed not only the depth of their shared history but also the pain of losing a sibling who had played such an integral role in her personal and artistic journey.
She captioned, “My brother Christopher is gone. He was the closest human to me for so long
Its 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. 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. 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. We soared the highest heights together. And floundered in the lowest lows. Somehow, we always found each other again and We held hands and we kept dancing. The last few years have not been easy. 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.”
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