On October 6, the 66-year-old singer shared a series of photos on her Instagram, showcasing moments with Christopher, who succumbed to cancer after a prolonged battle.
In a heartfelt caption, Madonna reflected on her relationship with her brother, with whom she had previously experienced a rift due to his revealing memoir. She noted that they were able to reconcile before his passing.
“My brother Christopher is gone. He was the closest person to me for so long,” she wrote. “It’s hard to describe our bond, but it grew from an understanding that we were different and that society would challenge us for not conforming to the norm.”
She added, “We held each other’s hands and danced through the chaos of our childhood. Dance was the glue that kept us together. Discovering dance in our small Midwestern town saved me, and when my brother joined, it saved him too. My ballet teacher, also named Christopher, created a safe environment for my brother to embrace being gay—a term that was neither spoken nor acknowledged where we lived.”
Madonna continued, “When I finally gathered the courage to move to New York to pursue dancing, my brother followed. Together, we navigated the chaos of the city, immersing ourselves in art, music, and film, as we stood at the center of it all.”
The tribute also touched on the struggles they faced during the AIDS epidemic: “We attended funerals, cried, and went dancing. We shared the stage in the early days of my career, and he later became the creative director for many of my tours. He had exquisite taste, and to gain his approval was like kissing the Pope’s ring.”
She emphasized, “We defied the Roman Catholic Church, the police, the Moral Majority, and all authority figures that threatened our artistic freedom. My brother was always there for me—an artist, a poet, a visionary. I admired him deeply. Despite his sharp tongue, which he sometimes directed at me, I always forgave him.”
Madonna reminisced about their highs and lows: “We soared to great heights together and endured painful lows, but we always found our way back to each other, hand in hand, continuing to dance.”
Reflecting on their last years, she said, “The past few years have been challenging, and we didn’t speak for a time. However, when my brother fell ill, we reconnected. I did everything I could to keep him alive as long as possible, but he suffered greatly in his final days. Once again, we held hands, closed our eyes, and danced together.”
She concluded, “I’m relieved he is no longer in pain. There will never be anyone like him, and I know he’s dancing somewhere.”
Christopher gained notoriety for his tell-all book, Life with My Sister Madonna, which detailed his complex relationship with the pop icon and included sensitive revelations about her personal life, such as her relationship with ex-husband Sean Penn. Despite the fallout the book caused, Madonna emphasized that they reconciled before his death.
Christopher passed away peacefully on October 4, surrounded by his husband Ray Thacker and loved ones at their home in Michigan. He is survived by Madonna, their siblings Martin, Paula, Melanie, Jennifer, and Mario, as well as their father, numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.