Anthony Ciccone, Madonna’s older brother, passed away at the age of 66, according to a family source.
One of the star’s seven siblings, Ciccone, is said to have died on Friday night.
He apparently battled alcoholism and spent some time living beneath a bridge while being destitute.
Joseph Henry, his brother-in-law, announced his passing on Instagram with an old black-and-white photo of him, adding that he had “exited this earthly realm.”
Henry, a singer-songwriter who is married to Madonna’s sister Melanie Ciccone, writes: “I’ve known him since I was 15, in the bloom of our lives in Michigan so many years ago gone.”
Anthony Ciccone cause of death: What happened to Madonna’s brother?
The actual cause of his death has not yet been revealed.
Madonna has not publicly commented on Ciccone’s passing, but the pop star did like Joe Henry’s Instagram post that revealed the news.
Together with Anthony and her other siblings, Madonna grew up in Detroit, Michigan. Ciccone remained in Michigan when she relocated to New York in 1978 to pursue a career in dance and music.
When they were small children in 1963, their mother passed away from breast cancer.
Brother-in-law In his Instagram post, Henry describes Ciccone as a “complex figure.”
