Anthony Ciccone, the older brother of pop icon Madonna, passed away in February from respiratory failure and throat cancer at the age of 66. TMZ obtained Ciccone’s death certificate, which revealed that his death was caused by several health issues, including oropharyngeal cancer, with tobacco use as a contributing factor. Madonna’s brother-in-law, Joe Henry, had announced the news of Ciccone’s death on Instagram earlier.
Madonna and her family had a complicated relationship with Ciccone due to his struggles with addiction, according to a source who spoke to PEOPLE. However, the pop superstar and her family supported Ciccone whenever he was willing to accept it. Madonna even visited him while he was in a rehab facility in his final months.
Since Ciccone’s death, Madonna has given him credit for introducing her to several musicians and authors that have influenced her thinking. Ciccone was an “insatiable reader” and a “deep lover of music with a wanderer’s spirit,” according to his obituary. However, he was also described as troubled and distant from his family.
