Madonna’s older brother Anthony Ciccone has passed away at the age of 66

Celebrity News

By means of Emily Selleck

February 26, 2023 | 9:09 am

Madonna’s eldest brother, Anthony Ciccone, has passed away. He was 66.

Musician Joe Henry, who is married to Madonna’s sister Melanie Ciccone, made the sad announcement via Instagram on Saturday.

“My brother-in-law, Anthony Gerard Ciccone, left this earth plane last night. I’ve known him since I was 15, in the spring of our lives in Michigan, so many years gone by now,” Henry, 62, captioned a black and white photo of his late relative.

“As brother Dave Henry (who took this photo) points out here, Anthony was a complex character; and god knows: we got caught up in moments, like real brothers can. But I loved him and understood him better than I sometimes wanted to show.

Henry added that while “problems fade”, the family remains – with “hands outstretched” across the table.

“Farewell then, Brother Anthony. I want to think that the god your blessed mother (and mine) believed in has her there, waiting to receive you,” he continued. “For today, no one will dissuade me from this vision.”

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Page Six has reached out to Madonna’s representative for comment.

One of eight children, Madonna grew up in Michigan, where her older brother is believed to have lived when he died.

Their mother, Madonna Ciccone, died after a battle with breast cancer at the age of 33 in 1963.

Anthony, for his part, had long struggled with alcoholism and was reportedly homeless for many years. He reportedly lived under a bridge in Michigan at one point.

In December 2017, the Daily Mail reported that Anthony completed a program in rehab and later reconnected with his family back home.

Years prior, Anthony previously spoke out against Madonna and the rest of their family, accusing them of not caring about him.

“I am a zero in their eyes – a non-person. I’m a disgrace. If I froze to death, my family probably wouldn’t know or care for six months,” he said in 2011, according to the Daily Mail.

“My father would be very happy if I died of hypothermia, then he wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore. He’s old-fashioned, he grew up in the depression,” he continued before claiming that he and the “Vogue” singer “never loved each other.”

“I never loved her in the first place, she never loved me. We never loved each other,” he claimed.