Madonna Recalls Call From Biggest 'Enemy' Brother Christopher Ciccone That Led To Forgiveness

Madonna is opening up about the painful history she had with her late brother, Christopher Ciccone, and how she let it go.

The singer recently spoke about being at war with her brother for years until she finally decided to let go of the hurt and forgive him shortly before he passed away in October 2024.

Christopher Ciccone was a dresser, art director, and interior designer who also worked for Madonna. He passed away one year ago from health complications caused by cancer. 

Madonna appeared on Monday's episode of the "On Purpose with Jay Shetty" podcast, discussing her spirituality and how forgiveness has played a significant role in her spiritual journey. 

The 67-year-old singer recalled looking at her brother, Christopher, as one of her "biggest enemies," saying that she once believed she could never forgive him because she had felt betrayed by him over the years. 

"There's things that have happened to me in my life that I just thought, 'I will never forgive this person.' Now I just don't want to have those feelings anymore 'cause it's a prison and it's poison to not be able to forgive and to live in a state of like holding a grudge or hating someone or wanting them to suffer," she told the podcast host.

The "Material Girl" singer admitted that she initially found it hard to forgive her brother because it's usually people she loves the most who hurt her the most. 

Buried in her hurt, Madonna assumed that having vengeful thoughts or holding onto unforgiveness was going to save her. However, the negative feelings ended up weighing on her and eating her alive. 

She described those feelings as "poisonous" and said that she considered forgiving him, but held back due to her ego.

Madonna further told Shetty that the turning point came when Christopher reached out to her during his illness. His call forced her to decide to either keep holding on to the grudge or to let things go, and she chose the latter. 

"It was him being ill and reaching out to me and saying, 'I need your help.' And me having that moment like, 'Am I going to help my enemy?' And I just did. And I felt so relieved," Madonna said. 

"And it was such a load off my back, such a weight that was removed, baggage that I could put down, to finally be able to be in a room with him and holding his hand even if he was dying and saying, 'I love you and I forgive you.' That was really important," she added.

The tension between Madonna and her brother stemmed from when the latter released an autobiography titled "Life With My Sister Madonna" in 2008. It reportedly caused a rift between them because the singer allegedly didn't approve of the book's release, according to Entertainment Weekly.

However, they were able to bury the hatchet before Christopher's death, and now, Madonna is even working on new music dedicated to him. 

Madonna is no stranger to grief, as she has also lost another brother besides Christopher. 

The singer's admission comes over two years after her older brother, Anthony Ciccone, passed away at the age of 66 at a Michigan nursing facility. 

As confirmed by The Blast, Anthony died from numerous health complications, including oropharyngeal cancer, which is commonly caused by smoking.  According to his death certificate, the singer's late brother succumbed to respiratory failure and throat cancer. 

Just like with Christopher, Madonna also didn't have the best relationship with Anthony. However, she was able to mend things with him before he died and even paid his hospital bills. 

Following Anthony's passing, the "Like A Prayer" singer shared an emotional tribute on her Instagram story, thanking him for "blowing" her mind when she was still a young girl. 

Madonna shared a black-and-white throwback picture of herself and Anthony surrounded by other loved ones, per The Blast.

In the caption, she appreciated him for positively impacting her and for planting "many important seeds" in her life. 

During the same episode, the "Queen of Pop" revealed that her successful career is largely attributed to her spirituality. 

"You need to be spiritual to be successful. Success is having a spiritual life, period. I wouldn't be here if I didn't have one," Madonna said, per The Blast.

The pop singer also noted that her soul's purpose is to "reveal light in the world" through what she does. As such, she tries not to keep the light to herself but to share it with others when she can.