- By Nathan Williams
- BBC News
26 February 2023 at 17:22 GMT
Updated 1 hour ago
Madonna’s older brother Anthony Ciccone has died at the age of 66, a member of his family said.
Ciccone was one of the star’s seven siblings and is believed to have passed away on Friday night.
He struggled with alcoholism and was reportedly homeless for many years, once living under a bridge.
His brother-in-law, Joe Henry, broke the news on Instagram, writing that he had “left this earthly plane” alongside an old black and white photo of him.
“I’ve known him since I was 15, in the spring of our lives in Michigan, so many years have passed now,” writes singer-songwriter Henry, who is married to Madonna’s sister Melanie Ciccone.
The cause of death is not yet known.
Madonna hasn’t spoken publicly about Ciccone’s death, but the pop star liked Joe Henry’s Instagram post that revealed the news.
Skip Instagram content, 1Allow Instagram content?
This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded as cookies and other technologies may be used. You may want to read Instagram’s Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy before accepting them. To view this content, select “Accept and continue”.
Accept and continue
End of Instagram content, 1
Madonna grew up with Anthony and her other siblings in the city of Detroit, Michigan. While she moved to New York in 1978 to pursue a dance and music career, Ciccone stayed in Michigan.
They lost their mother to breast cancer in 1963 when they were young children.
Brother-in-law Henry writes in his Instagram post that Ciccone was a “complex character”.
“God knows we’ve tangled in moments like true brothers can.
“But I loved him and understood him better than I sometimes wanted to admit. But the problems go away and the family stays – with hands reaching across the table. Farewell, Brother Anthony.
“I want to believe that the God your blessed mother (and mine) believed in has her there, waiting to receive you. At least for today, no one will sway me from that vision.”
Estranged from his family, Ciccone had previously hit them and accused them of not caring for him.
“I’m a zero in their eyes – a non-person. I’m embarrassed,” he told the Chron in 2011.
“If I froze to death, my family probably wouldn’t know or care for six months.”
Later, in 2017, it was reported that he had completed a rehab program and reconnected with his family.