Madonna's Family Suffers Heartbreaking Loss

Madonna's eldest brother Anthony Ciccone died at 66.

Madonna's eldest brother, Anthony Ciccone, has died. He was 66 years old.

The singer's brother-in-law Joe Henry, who is married to her sister Melanie Ciccone, revealed Anthony's death in an Instagram post.

Henry wrote, "My brother-in-law, Anthony Gerard Ciccone, exited this earthly plane last evening. I’ve known him since I was 15, in the spring of our lives in Michigan so many years now gone. 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."

He continued, "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. Farewell, then, brother Anthony. I want to think the god your blessed mother (and mine) believed in has her there, waiting to receive you. At least for today, no one shall dissuade me from this vision."

Madonna liked Henry's post about Anthony's passing, but has yet to release a statement. No details about the cause of death have been shared at this time.

Anthony struggled with alcoholism for many years and was previously homeless. In a 2011 interview with The Daily Mail, he shared he was estranged from his family. "I'm a zero in their eyes – a non-person. I'm an embarrassment. If I froze to death, my family probably wouldn't know or care about it for six months," he said at the time. He also said he and Madonna "never loved each other."

Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the loss.