All we know of Madonna's late brother following tragic death
hellomagazine.comMadonna – as are the rest of her family members – is mourning the loss of her older brother, Anthony Ciccone. He was 66.It was the pop-star's brother-in-law, Joe Henry, who first revealed the sad news, with a heartfelt tribute on Instagram over the weekend.
Joe is married to Madonna's younger sister, Melanie Ciccone.The singer comes from a family of seven siblings, she grew up with two older brothers, Anthony and Martin, and three younger siblings, Paula, Christopher, and Melanie.
Their parents are Madonna Louise (née Fortin) and Silvio Anthony "Tony" Ciccone, though Madonna Sr. passed away in 1963 from breast cancer, when her famous daughter was only five years old.WATCH: Madonna's Grammys look sparks reactionMORE: Madonna shares defiant post-surgery update following Grammys controversyIn his heartbreaking Instagram post, Joe, who is a musician himself, wrote: "My brother-in-law, Anthony Gerard Ciccone, exited this earthly plane last evening," adding: "I've known him since I was 15, in the spring of our lives in Michigan so many years now gone." Madonna and her siblings were born in the mid-western state, and they grew up in the Detroit suburbs of Pontiac and Rochester Hills, the latter formerly known as Avon Township.MORE: All we know about the 'bootcamp' auditions for Madonna's canceled biopicThe star's brother-in-law further wrote: "Anthony was a complex character; and god knows: we tangled in moments, as true brothers can.
But I loved him, and understood him better than I was sometimes willing to let on."A post shared by Joe Henry (@joehenrymusic)Madonna's best friend, Debi Mazar, commented: "I adored him back when we were younger."He then explained: "But trouble fades; and family remains — with hands reached across.
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