Saddening news has come out of Madonna’s camp Sunday (Feb. 27). According to TMZ, the Michigan-born superstar’s 66-year-old brother, Anthony Gerard Ciconne, has passed away. This follows his long bout with alcohol abuse and homelessness. Madonna—who recently split from her boyish ex—has yet to make a statement since his death was revealed, and hasn’t appeared on social media since.
Madonna’s brother-in-law, musician Joe Henry, revealed the news Sunday evening. Refraining from comments on his troubled personal life, Henry goes on to speak about the “complex character” Anthony had before his untimely passing. “[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. But trouble fades; and family remains—with hands reached across the table. The two had known each other since Henry, age 62, was 15 years old.
Madonna’s Brother-In-Law Announces The Death Of Her Brother.
View this post on Instagram
The oldest brother of seven, who’s rumored to have passed in their home state, was reportedly in rehab prior to his death. According to a PEOPLE source, “They were all there for him and despite being estranged, Madonna supported him in every way she could when he was willing to take the support.” At the time of his passing, Ciconne had left rehab and was receiving treatment for recovering patients. This past week, however, he reportedly refused the facility’s assistance, in a “clear” sign he was “ready to move on.”
A decade-old interview details the tumultuous relationship Anthony Ciconne had with his family through the years. He told reporters he’d been homeless for a year, living underneath a bridge in Traverse City, Michigan. “My family turned their back on me, basically, when I was having a hard time,” Ciccone remembered. “You think I haven’t answered this kind of question a bazillion times — why my sister is a multibazillionarie, and I’m homeless on the street?” In a follow-up interview with Daily Mail two years later, Madonna’s late brother detailed how his life ended up that way after losing his job at the family’s vineyard and winery. He also had a brief stint in jail for trespassing and alcohol charges in a church. Police reports state Ciconne “was sitting at a table inside the parish and was highly intoxicated” while he ranted profanities around children.
[via]
