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Madonna's older brother Anthony Ciccone recently passed away at the age of 66. Musician Joe Henry revealed the news through Instagram where he posted a picture of Anthony.
In the caption for the post, Joe wrote that he knew Anthony since the former was 15, and in the "spring of" their lives. He added that as David Henry had noted, Anthony was a complex character and stated
"God knows: we tangled in moments, as true brothers can."
The post continued to say that Joe loved and understood Anthony, noting that while trouble fades, it is the family that remains. Bidding farewell to his brother-in-law, he added:
"I want to think the god your blessed mother (and mine) believed in has her there, waiting to receive you. At least for today, no one shall dissuade me from this vision."
The comments section of the post was flooded with tributes from well-known personalities in the entertainment industry and social media. Anthony's cause of death remains unknown.
Madonna has seven siblings
Anthony, Madonna's brother, was one of the pop singer's five siblings. She was born on August 16, 1958, to Madonna Louise and Silvio Anthony "Tony" Ciccone. After his wife's death in 1963, the singer's father married Joan Gustafson in 1966 and it is something the singer was never satisfied with. Tony and Joan later became the parents of two kids.
In all, Madonna has five siblings and two half-siblings.
Anthony Ciccone
Born on May 3, 1956, Anthony struggled a lot throughout his life in an attempt to find a home for himself. He was addicted to alcohol at one point and has had many confrontations with the law in the last few years.
He entered rehab and also joined a place called Dann's House where patients can drink as per their choice. He once claimed that Madonna never cared about him.
In an interview, he had said that he felt like he was "a zero in their eyes, a non-person." He even said that if he froze to death, his family "wouldn't know or care about it" for six months.
Martin Ciccone
Martin was born on June 15, 1957. At one point in life, he developed an alcohol addiction but entered rehab at the age of 55. He was also arrested a few times, but his sister always supported him.
He once said that he and Madonna have been in touch for a long time and that he is planning to start doing voiceovers for cartoons and video games. He later released an album called Judgment Day.
Paula Ciccone
Born on August 22, 1959, Paula pursued her career in modeling and was featured on the cover of Rolling Stones. She even worked in a few commercials.
However, she never became as successful as her sister. While speaking to Oprah Winfrey, she said that she had to face trauma following her sister's success and the latter's absence from home.
Christopher Ciccone
Born on November 22, 1960, Christopher has accompanied his sister on tours and is currently an interior decorator and designer. He was a dancer for La Groupe de La Place Royal, art director for the Blond Ambition World Tour, and tour director for The Girlie Show. Christopher started a footwear brand called Ciccone Collection in 2012 and has written a book called Life with My Sister Madonna.
Melanie Ciccone
Born in 1962, Melanie was previously employed at the Council on International Educational Exchange, Warner Records, and FAO. She is currently an entrepreneur.
Jennifer Ciccone and Mario Siccone
Born in 1968 and 1969, detailed information about the singer's half-siblings, Jennifer and Mario's lives remains unknown. However, it is known Mario is currently a manager at Ciccone Vineyard & Winery and is a mother of two sons.
While several famous personalities paid tributes to Anthony's passing, Madonna has yet to publicly comment on it. However, she did like Henry's Instagram post that shared the news.
