Madonna shares rare photo with father, all 6 children with heartbreaking story about her brother’s funeral
Madonna has never been more grateful to have family.
The “Material Girl” singer, 66, shared an Instagram post Monday with rare photos of her six children — Lourdes Leon, 28, Rocco Ritchie, 24, David Banda, 19, Mercy James, 18, and twins Stella and Estere, 12 — and her dad, Silvio Anthony “Tony” Ciccone, from their Thanksgiving celebration last week.
Madonna with her six kids and her father on Thanksgiving.
Madonna, her kids and her father posed outside and inside of what appeared to be a farmhouse, where they seemingly spent the holiday.
The Grammy winner also took a sweet photo with her boyfriend, Jamaican soccer player Akeem Morris, 28.
“We are born into families and we create our own,” Madonna began her caption. “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 music legend then brought up her stepmom, Joan Ciccone, and her brother, Christopher Ciccone, who both died earlier this year.
“My family has experienced many losses this year,” she wrote. “My father has endured with dignity.”
“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 continued.
Madonna added, “Spending time with him and all my children on Thanksgiving was Medicine for the Soul.”
Joan passed away in September at age 81 following a brief battle with an aggressive form of cancer. She married Madonna’s father in 1966 when the singer was 8 years old.
Less than two weeks after Joan’s passing, Christopher died of cancer at age 63.
Christopher was the art director on Madonna’s Blond Ambition World Tour in 1990 and was the tour director for the Girlie Show in 1993. The siblings had a falling out, which Christopher wrote about in his 2008 NYT best-selling book.
Christopher claimed that Madonna outed him in her 1991 interview with the Advocate. He also accused Madonna’s ex-husband and Rocco’s father, Guy Ritchie, of being homophobic.
Despite the drama, Madonna gave a meaningful tribute to her brother following his death in October.
“My brother Christopher is gone,” Madonna said in a statement at the time. “He was the closest human to me for so long. It’s hard to explain our bond. But it grew out of an understanding that we were different and society was going to give us a hard time for not following the status quo.”
“I did my best to keep him alive as long as possible. He was in so much pain towards the end,” she added. “Once again, we held hands we closed our eyes and we danced. Together.”