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Louise Thomas
Editor
Madonna’s stepmother, Joan Ciccone, has died at age 81.
According to an online obituary for Ciccone, she “passed away peacefully” in the morning of September 24. Her passing came “after a brief encounter with a very aggressive cancer.”
“She will be terribly missed by her family and friends whose lives she enriched with her enthusiasm, joy and love,” the obituary reads.
Madonna has yet to comment publicly.
In April 1966, Joan married Madonna’s father, Silvio Tony Ciccone, and the couple had two children: Jennifer, 56, and Mario, 55. In 1967, Joan also gave birth to her son, Joey, who died of a rare heart defect after he was born.
After her marriage, Joan became the stepmother to Silvio and his late wife’s – also named Madonna – six children: Martin, 67, Anthony, 66, Madonna, 66, Paula, 65, Christopher, 63, and Melanie, 62. Madonna Sr. died of breast cancer in 1963.
Throughout her life, Joan also ran a daycare for more than 20 years, according to her obituary. In 1995, she and her husband moved to Suttons Bay, Michigan to run Ciccone Vineyard and Winery. Her responsibilities at the vineyard included “helping to plant the vines, property maintenance, and harvesting.” She’s also mowed the rows of the vineyard on her tractor and “cooked for many of the tasting room events.”
In addition, she maintained “her love of fashion by volunteering with the Cherry Festival Queen’s fashion show for many years.”
Although the “Material Girl” singer has kept family out of the spotlight, she opened up about her relationship with her stepmother. During an interview with Larry King in 2002, she recalled being raised by Joan, after her mother passed when Madonna was only a child.
“My mother died when I was little and that was difficult for me for a while,” she said. “Truthfully, I didn’t accept my stepmother when I was growing up. In retrospect, I think that was really hard on her.”
After acknowledging that Joan was trying to be a good stepparent in her life, Madonna confessed that it was still hard for her to welcome someone new into her life, after her mother’s death. “I didn’t want to accept change in my life,” she added at the time, while noting that she’s maintained a “close” relationship with her father.
However, it appears that Madonna and her stepmother formed a good relationship over time, as Joan and Silver were spotted backstage with the singer during her MDNA Tour in Detroit in 2015.
The Independent has reached out to a representative for Madonna for comment.
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