Pop queen Madonna has expressed her condolences and love for her brother, former dancer Christopher Ciccone, who has died of cancer.

On October 6, Madonna announced the sad news on Instagram, giving emotional words of gratitude to her late brother. She wrote: “My brother, Christopher, is gone. He was the closest person to me for a long time. It’s hard to explain our relationship.”

Christopher Ciccone’s representative confirmed that the former dancer passed away peacefully with her husband, Ray Thacker, and family in Michigan on October 4. A few weeks before Christopher’s death, his and Madonna’s stepmother, Joan Ciccone, also died of cancer.

The 66-year-old singer said she and Christopher, 63, shared a passion for dance as young adults, which was like super glue that bonded them together throughout their childhood. “Discovering dance in a small Midwestern town saved me and him. My ballet teacher created a safe space for my brother to be gay – something that was unspoken or whispered about where we lived.”

Madonna recalls her early career days in New York, when she and her brother danced together on stage. Christopher worked as a backup dancer for Madonna, then became creative director on many of the pop singer’s tours.

According to Madonna, her brother is also an artist, poet, and designer with impeccable taste that she admires. However, there were conflicts between the two sisters that caused them to be apart for a few years. When Madonna learned that her brother was sick, she took the initiative to heal and help. “Now I am glad he is no longer in pain. There will never be anyone like him. I know he is dancing somewhere,” she wrote.

Christopher Ciccone previously released his 2008 memoir Life With My Sister Madonna , in which he revealed many secrets about his famous sister’s personal life and relationships. Madonna was furious with her brother but they later made up. In 2017, Christopher reignited the rift between the sisters in an interview with The Sun, which led to them not speaking to each other for a while.

Madonna and Christopher Ciccone, the children of Silvio Ciccone and Madonna Louise Ciccone, share siblings Anthony, Martin, Paula and Melanie. After their mother died of breast cancer in 1963, their father married Joan, their housekeeper, in 1966. Madonna has two more half-siblings, Jennifer and Mario.