The cause of death for Madonna’s brother Christopher Ciccone has been revealed as cancer.
Christopher, 63, passed away peacefully surrounded by his husband Ray Thacker and their loved ones in Michigan.
He worked worked as a designer, artist and director and was once Madonna’s closest sibling, beginning his career as her assistant, dresser, stylist and artistic director.
One friend said: “He was an extremely talented man with a wicked sense of humor.”
He worked as the art director on Madonna’s Blond Ambition World Tour in 1990 and was the director for The Girlie Show in 1993.
The star and her brother worked closely throughout Madonna’s career, but fell-out in 2008 when Christopher released a tell-all book “Life with My Sister Madonna”.
Christopher died on October 4 and is survived by Madonna and their other siblings including Martin, Paula, Melanie, Jennifer and Mario.
Their step-mother Joan Ciccone died from cancer less than two weeks ago while brother Anthony died in February last year form throat cancer.
His representative said: “Christopher’s loving spouse was faithfully by his side during the final stages of the cancer that would ultimately end his life.”
Christopher struggled with alcohol and drug abuse with Madonna even paying for some of his rehab.
When Christopher wrote up his New York Times bestselling book about his relationship with his sister, it caused a wedge between the pair.
The brother called the Material Girl hitmaker “a middle-class girl who propagates the story that she landed in Times Square with just a pair of ballet shoes and $35 to her name”.
But he claimed this was “pure mythology and the further she progresses, the more mythological her life story becomes.”
In his book, Christopher also wrote savagely about Madonna’s sexual partners — actor Sean Penn was “intense”, former personal trainer Carlos Leon “thick” and Brit film director Guy Ritchie “a poseur”.
He also claimed Ritchie, who was married to the Queen of Pop between 2000 and 2008, tried to run him over and accused him of being homophobic.
He adds: “I haven’t spoken to any of those guys and nor do I wish to.
“There’s not a single word in that book that isn’t true. If it hadn’t been, I’d have been sued.”
Madonna is yet to comment on her brother’s death.
