Madonna Shares Thanksgiving Updates After Facing Multiple Family Deaths This Year
Madonna is sharing an emotional reflection on her first Thanksgiving after the loss of her brother Christopher and stepmother Joan. The 66-year-old Grammy-winning artist took to Instagram to post a carousel of family photos from her Thanksgiving weekend, spent with her six children—Lourdes, 28, Rocco, 24, David, 19, Mercy, 18, and twins Stella and Estere, 12—as well as her 93-year-old father, Silvio Ciccone.
The slideshow featured photos taken on their farms, followed by indoor shots of their gathering. Madonna began her heartfelt caption with, “We are born into families and we create our own,” expressing her gratitude for the lessons taught by her loved ones. “As time goes by I am more and more appreciative of these microcosms of life that dance around me and teach me lessons every day.”
The pop star also reflected on the difficult year her family has endured, following the recent deaths of her brother Christopher in October and her stepmother Joan in September. “My Family has experienced many losses this year,” she wrote.
Madonna took a moment to honor her father, Silvio, for his strength throughout these losses. “My father has endured with Dignity,” she said. “Watching him cry in the cemetery when we buried my brother Christopher–right after he lost his wife. Was a moment I will never forget.”
She concluded her message by expressing how spending time with her father and children during the holiday brought her comfort. “Spending time with him and all my children on Thanksgiving was Medicine for the Soul,” she shared.
Joan Clare Ciccone, Madonna’s stepmother, passed away on September 24 at age 81 after a brief battle with an aggressive cancer. Just weeks later, on October 4, Christopher “Chris” Gerard Ciccone, Madonna’s brother, also succumbed to cancer at 63. Despite these heart-wrenching losses, Madonna found solace in the warmth of her family during Thanksgiving.