Anthony Ciccone, the older brother of pop singer Madonna, has died, according to multiple reports. He was 66.
Madonna’s brother-in-law, Joe Henry, shared news of Ciccone’s death in a post on Instagram. Henry is married to Madonna’s sister, Melanie Ciccone, People reported.
“My brother-in-law, Anthony Gerard Ciccone, exited this earthly plane last evening,” Henry wrote. “As brother Dave Henry (who took this photograph) notes here, 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.”
Ciccone struggled with alcoholism and spent years estranged from his family. In 2011, the Daily Mail reported that Ciccone was homeless and spending his nights under a bridge in the family’s native Michigan.
“I’m a zero in their eyes; a non-person, an embarrassment,” he told the Daily Mail. “If I froze to death, my family probably wouldn’t know or care about it for six months.”
Family members told the Mirror in 2017 that after several years of homelessness, Ciccone was “back home” and “recovering” after he went through rehab. An unidentified source told Page Six that he had recently been in touch with his family.
“During his final months he was in contact with family and Madonna, but this past week he refused the support the rehab facility offered and it was clear he was ready to move on,” the source told Page Six.
Ciccone is one of Madonna’s seven siblings, according to BBC News.
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