Recently, Madonna's fans expressed their condolences as news broke that her older brother, Anthony Ciccone had died at the age of 66. In light of his passing, followers of the Frozen singer have taken an interest in his tragic life.
Some are even curious if he'll be portrayed in the Queen of Pop's currently on-hold biopic. Here's everything you should know about him, as well as his relationship with Madonna.
Who Was Madonna's Older Brother Anthony Ciccone?
In Ciccone's obituary, he was described as an "insatiable reader" and "a deep lover of music with a wanderer's spirit." He also struggled with addiction for much of his adult life. "Though a loner ––isolated throughout much of his adult life by the addiction that contributed to his early demise–– he was nonetheless enlivened by community and a sense of belonging," it said in the writeup.
In 2011, Ciccone said that he was "homeless on the street" and living under a bridge in their family's native Michigan. Seven years later, Mirror reported that he was "back home" with family and "recovering" after returning from a treatment center despite previously accusing his multi-millionaire sister of not caring.
"Anthony loved it at Dann's House for quite a while, and made significant improvements in his life while he was with us," the center's boss, Karen McCarthy said of Ciccone's progress at that time. "Dann's House does good work with people who are vulnerable. We've seen tremendous, positive results."
In 2005, the eldest Ciccone sibling also had a shot at turning his life around by getting a job in the family wine-making business — the vineyard of his dad, Tony which he developed alongside the third highest-paid living musician.
Unfortunately, five years later, Ciccone was fired by his dad and stepmom, Joan after he was "found sprawled on his back guzzling wine straight from the vats," per the outlet. He later called out his dad and his sister, saying: "I'm a zero in their eyes – a non-person. I'm an embarrassment. If I froze to death, my family probably wouldn't know or care about it for six months."
He continued: "I'm a zero in their eyes – a non-person. I'm an embarrassment. If I froze to death, my family probably wouldn’t know or care about it for six months." He also said that he "never loved" Madonna and vice versa. In 2014, before entering Dann's House, he said that while living in the streets, "if you were freezing, you used to be able to sit in the jail lobby."
How Close Was Madonna To His Older Brother Anthony Ciccone?
Contrary to Ciccone's allegations, Madonna actually supported him throughout his battle with addiction. Though his obituary noted that he was "troubled and distant from his own, valued family," a source spilled that "Madonna supported him in every way she could when he was willing to take the support."
The insider added: "Family members including Madonna visited him while in his rehab facility as he declined these past few months."
In her Instagram tribute, Madonna wrote of Ciccone: "Thank you for blowing my mind as a young girl and introducing me to Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Buddhism, Taoism, Charles Bukowski, Richard Brautigan, Jack Kerouac, Expansive Thinking, Outside the Box." She added that he had "planted many important seeds."
Musician Joe Henry, Madonna's brother-in-law was the first to break the news. In an Instagram post, he remembered his memories with Ciccone since he was 15. "Anthony was a complex character; and God knows we tangled in moments, as true brothers can," he wrote alongside a black and white photo of his briother-in-law. "But I loved him, and understood him better than I was sometimes willing to let on."
Is Madonna Close To Her Six Other Siblings?
For the longest time, Madonna has been estranged from her siblings. Though details of their life at home remain a mystery, her sister Paula once told Oprah Winfrey that the chart-topper's success had caused her "a lot of emotional trauma." She noted that it made it tough to break into the modeling industry at that time. "It's hard because I'm putting myself in the same place where she is," she said.
Madonna's brother, Christopher wrote of her in his best-selling tell-all, "I love my sister more than like [her]." But Madonna's sister, textile designer Melanie — whom she calls "Smells" — was recently part of her Madame-X pre-concert prayer circle. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm so happy to have my sister Melanie in this room right now," the singer said, per Daily Mail.
"No one knows better than her what it's like to survive our toxic and broken family from Michigan," she continued. "To come out the other end still sane and not an alcoholic, even though I say I am!" Melanie was there by Madonna's side when she gave birth to her firstborn, Lourdes Leon. Then there are the artist's youngest siblings, Jennifer and Mario from her dad's second marriage to Joan — the family's former housekeeper.
At one point, Madonna's stepmom alleged that she had abandoned her dad during his financial ruin. "She knew the position we were in because she had come to stay and even brought her children," Joan said.
"But we didn't have any help from Madonna, even though it would have been useful." On the other hand, Madonna once confessed that she was "bitterly unhappy" about her father getting remarried after the death of her mom, Madonna Louise. "I hated my father for a long time," she said.
