In a moving conversation on Jay Shetty’s “On Purpose” podcast, Madonna opened up about the power of forgiveness and family. The pop icon revealed that she was able to make peace with her brother Christopher Ciccone before he died in 2024, bringing closure after years of estrangement.
“Holding a grudge, hating someone or wanting them to suffer … it’s a kind of poison, a kind of cancer,” Madonna reflected. “That’s why it’s important to find a way to forgive people whom you perceive as your biggest enemies. For a really long time, it was my brother, who died recently.”
Complicated History With Her Brother
GettyChristopher worked closely with Madonna early in her career, serving as art director for her “Blonde Ambition Tour” and tour director for “The Girlie Show” in the early 1990s. Their relationship soured after he released a tell-all memoir, “Life With My Sister Madonna,” which created a deep rift between them.
Although they reconnected briefly in 2012, Madonna admitted the two remained estranged for years. “For my brother, I didn’t speak to him for three years. Years and years. And it was him being ill and reaching out to me and saying, ‘I need your help,’ that means having that moment, like, ‘Am I gonna help my enemy?’ And I just did,” she said.
Near-Death Experience Shaped Her Outlook
(Photo by PABLO PORCIUNCULA/AFP via Getty Images)Madonna shared that her own health crisis in 2023 also shifted her perspective. The singer was hospitalized with a bacterial infection and placed in a coma for four days.
“That was another thing I realized, when I woke up in the hospital, forgiveness. That word came to my mind. I have to forgive people,” she said.
“Because I was there, I was almost there on the other side. I had a conscious moment and my mother appeared to me and she said, ‘Do you want to come with me?’ and I said no.”
She added that her assistant later told her she audibly said “No” while unconscious, which she now interprets as her decision to let go of grudges. You can listen to her full conversation here.
Healing Through Music & Family Memories
Ultimately, Madonna said forgiveness brought her peace. “It was such a load off my back, such a weight that was removed, baggage that was put down to finally be able to be in a room with him and holding his hand, even if he was dying, saying, ‘I love you and I forgive you,'” she explained.
The singer also revealed she has written a song about Christopher for her upcoming album, titled “Fragile.” The project will reunite her with longtime collaborator DJ Stuart Price, best known for working with her on “Confessions on a Dance Floor.”
