Madonna revealed that it had felt like her ‘heart was ripped out’ after her mother, Louise Ciccone, passed away at age 30 in 1963 following breast cancer diagnosis.
The Queen of Pop, 66 – who recently fueled engagement rumors with boyfriend Akeem Morris – opened up about dealing with the loss in the new Sky documentary, Becoming Madonna, which was released on December 30.
The songstress had only been five-years-old at the time of her mother’s death and got candid about the effect it had on her at such a young age, per People.
‘What happened you know when I was [5] years old, it was just the greatest event of my life,’ Madonna expressed. ‘It was like a part of my heart was ripped out.’
‘I was forced to grow up fast and understand my mother’s death, to understand the psychological, all things that were going on. It was too much for a child I think.’
The star remembered her mother Louise by sharing, ‘She was beautiful and sweet and a hard worker.’
Madonna, 66, revealed that it had felt like her ‘heart was ripped out’ after her mother, Louise Ciccone, passed away at age 30 in 1963 following breast cancer diagnosis
In the documentary, Madonna’s late brother Christopher also made an appearance to discuss their mother.
A few months earlier in October 2024, he notably passed away at the age of 63 following a battle with cancer.
‘I think when my mother died things changed emotionally with everybody,’ he had stated.
Christopher then added of his older sister, ‘I know my father put a great deal more pressure on her to be our guide.’
‘She was our mother’s namesake, and her name was Madonna. I mean, it either crushes you or edifies you or elevates you to something else.’
The performer – whose full name is Madonna Louise Ciccone – proudly talked about being named after her mother and said, ‘It means a great deal to me. It’s my mother’s name and I loved my mother, so there’s a link there.’
Last year in May 2024, the Vogue singer shared a tribute to her late mom on Mother’s Day on Instagram. Some photos included Madonna standing on stage as a photo of Louise was shown on a large screen during her Celebration Tour.
In the caption, she penned, ‘I stood on stage for 81 shows staring up at the beautiful face of my mother and wondering what she must’ve been thinking as she waved goodbye to me from her hospital window.’
‘I was forced to grow up fast and understand my mother’s death, to understand the psychological, all things that were going on. It was too much for a child I think,’ the singer stated
The performer – whose full name is Madonna Louise Ciccone – also proudly talked about being named after her mother and said, ‘It means a great deal to me. It’s my mother’s name and I loved my mother, so there’s a link there’
‘I stepped into the station wagon and shut the door not knowing it was the last time I’d see her,’ the songstress emotionally remembered.
At the time, Madonna expressed that her family hadn’t told her that her mother was dying.
‘I just watched her disintegrate mysteriously and then she disappeared and there was no explanation except that she had gone to sleep.’
She stated that the explanation of her mother simply going to sleep to describe her passing when she was just five has resulted in the singer’s own ‘tumultuous relationship with sleep.’
‘When I stepped out on the stage and looked up at my mothers face every night, I said hello I said goodbye. I said Thank you. I hope you’re proud of me. I said Please protect me and keep me sane.’
The star then reflected on also being a mother and wrote, ‘I became very close to my children on this tour. We clung to each other. In the long hours we worked and struggled.’
Madonna is mom to six children: Lourdes, 28, Rocco, 24, David, 19, Mercy, 18, as well as Stella and Estere, 12.
‘They helped me manifest my dreams. In the chaos and the storms, the monotony and repetition. The sleepless nights and the endless packing and unpacking. All the sacrifices we made together.’
‘I just watched her disintegrate mysteriously and then she disappeared and there was no explanation except that she had gone to sleep,’ Madonna recalled; seen in June 2024 in NYC
The Material Girl hitmaker later added, ‘No Easy way into the motherhood game. No manual or University. Just trial and error and learn and succeed and then fail again’
The Material Girl hitmaker later added, ‘No Easy way into the motherhood game. No manual or University. Just trial and error and learn and succeed and then fail again.’
‘Finally the realization that they were raising me and not the other way around. I always laugh with friends and say motherhood = suffering. But it’s not a joke, it’s the truest thing I’ve ever said…’
And in 2023, the singer made rare comments about her late mother after visiting a storage space with old costumes while preparing for her tour.
She had written, ‘A trip to my archives is always a nostalgic trip down memory lane!’
‘When I was a little girl I remember my mother was always cold. Partly because she was sick but also because she never had a coat.’
Madonna added, ‘She always spent what little money we had on our coats and I remember standing outside waiting for the school bus With my mother shivering in the cold in the middle of winter!!’
‘Years later when I became successful my mother’s sister said to me, “Now You can buy all the coats your mother couldn’t buy for herself!”‘
‘The journey from the memory of my shivering mother in Winter to me shivering in the over air-conditioned storage space where all my costumes are stored is quite remarkable.’
Madonna’s father, Silvio Ciccone, celebrated his 93rd birthday last year in June – and the songstress paid tribute to the big milestone
The performer concluded with, ‘Every time I put on an incredible coat I think of my Mother. I hope she likes my taste in costumes But most of all i hope she’s warm!’
Madonna’s father, Silvio Ciccone, celebrated his 93rd birthday last year in June – and the songstress paid tribute to the big milestone.
Silvio and Louise welcomed six children in total before her passing: Madonna, Martin, Paula, Melanie, as well as late brothers Anthony and Christopher.
Her father later remarried to his second wife named Joan, and they welcomed two more children: Jennifer and Mario.
Earlier this week on Thursday, Madonna notably sparked up engagement rumors with her boyfriend Akeem Morris, 28, by flashing an eye-catching sparkler on her ring finger.
The star uploaded a series of Instagram photos as she rung in the New Years with her children and Morris.
Silvio and Louise welcomed six children in total before her passing: Madonna, Martin, Paula, Melanie, as well as late brothers Anthony and Christopher
Earlier this week on Thursday, Madonna notably sparked up engagement rumors with her boyfriend Akeem Morris, 28, by flashing an eye-catching sparkler on her ring finger
In one image, both she and Akeem could be seen strolling down a hallway inside what appeared to be a lavish hotel.
The songstress held out her left hand towards the camera and fans were quick to a diamond ring on her finger.
Madonna and the former college soccer player first crossed paths back in 2022, but did not go public with their romance until last year in July 2024 on social media.
Her Sky Documentary is currently available to stream and follows her rise to fame from 1978 through 1992 – and additionally includes unseen photos as well as rare footage.