Madonna is baring her soul in the new Sky documentary Becoming Madonna. The Queen of Pop, now 66, opens up about losing her mother at the tender age of 5. Her mother, Madonna Louise Ciccone, passed away in 1963 at just 30 years old after battling breast cancer.
In the documentary, archival footage and audio reveal the emotional scars left by this loss. “What happened when I was five years old, it was just the greatest event of my life,” Madonna says. “It was like a part of my heart was ripped out.”
Forced to grow up too soon
Madonna describes how her mother’s death forced her to grow up fast. She had to grapple with complex emotions and situations no child should face. “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,” she explains. She remembers feeling an overwhelming sense of emptiness afterward.
Memories of a loving Mother
When asked about her mother, Madonna’s face softens. “She was beautiful and sweet and a hard worker,” she recalls. Her brother, Christopher Ciccone, who passed away in October at 63, also appears in the documentary. He shares how their mother’s death altered the dynamics within their family.
“I think when my mother died, things changed emotionally with everybody,” Christopher reveals. He notes how their father, Silvio Ciccone, now 93, placed immense pressure on Madonna to take on a guiding role. “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 Meaning behind her Name
Madonna admits the weight of her name carries profound meaning. “It means a great deal to me,” she says. “It’s my mother’s name, and I loved my mother, so there’s a link there.” Earlier this year, the pop icon honored her late mother on Instagram during Mother’s Day. She reminisced about her mother’s final moments and the tribute she included in her 2023–2024 Celebration Tour.
Honoring her Mother on Stage
“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,” Madonna wrote. “I stepped into the station wagon and shut the door not knowing it was the last time I’d see her.”
During her emotional Instagram post, Madonna described the confusion and heartbreak of her mother’s death. “Nobody told me my mother was dying. I just watched her disintegrate mysteriously, and then she disappeared,” she wrote. “There was no explanation except that she had gone to sleep, which explains my tumultuous relationship with sleep.”
On her Celebration Tour, Madonna dedicated a poignant moment to her mother. A black-and-white photo of her mother appeared on a giant screen as she performed “Mother and Father” from her American Life album. “When I stepped out on the stage and looked up at my mother’s 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,” she shared.
A Story of Resilience and Strength
Madonna’s raw honesty in Becoming Madonna paints a vivid picture of how her mother’s death shaped her life. The documentary delves into her journey of resilience, self-discovery, and unshakable strength. It also highlights how her name, a direct link to her mother, continues to be a source of inspiration.
Now streaming on Sky Documentaries, Becoming Madonna offers fans a rare glimpse into the life of the iconic artist. It’s a story of heartbreak, perseverance, and the enduring bond between a mother and daughter.
