Madonna’s brother Christopher Ciccone reignites bitter feud with his ‘horrific’ pop star sister in a tell-all book
THEY’VE just been reconciled after a bitter feud kept them apart for a decade since he wrote an explosive bestseller about her, but now MADONNA’s brother is doing it again.
In a fiery new interview, Christopher Ciccone has accused the pop queen of blacklisting him in Hollywood — and says he could have written another tell-all book about just how “horrific” she is.
His fresh blow comes nine years after publication of his bitchy bestseller, Life with My Sister Madonna, which destroyed their relationship.
In an exclusive chat, Christopher, who for years was her backstage dresser and show designer, said: “I could have written that book, the book about how horrifying she is or can be, but I didn’t write that book.
“I was just looking for a little recognition for the work I’ve done for 20 years with her, that it wasn’t one person.”
In his 2008 book, Christopher told how his sister was bossy, sweaty, moody and, above all, mean.
Both still deeply scarred by their mother’s death in 1963, Madonna had brought Christopher to New York and employed him — but also demeaned and underpaid him and, he claimed, even outed him as gay on television.
Reflecting on the row, Christopher says: “When I got back to LA my 500 acquaintances suddenly turned out to be four friends.
“She’s quite powerful in Los Angeles, in the industry. I was working in the industry doing music videos and tours and it was difficult to get work, if not impossible.”
But Christopher reckons Madonna has lost her way without him and says he is barely able to watch her live shows now because she lost sight of what her fans want.
He said: “Her performance lost its theatricality to me and lost its connection to the audience.
“That was disappointing. How many tours have there been since ’94? Five? It’s difficult to watch them because I know what she’s capable of.
“It’s all screens and projections and Kabbalah and all this other stuff that the audience doesn’t really connect to.”
In his book, Christopher also wrote savagely about Madonna’s sexual partners — actor SEAN PENN was “intense”, former personal trainer Carlos Leon “thick” and Brit film director GUY RITCHIE “a poseur”.
He adds: “I haven’t spoken to any of those guys and nor do I wish to.
“There’s not a single word in that book that isn’t true. If it hadn’t been, I’d have been sued.”
But in a show of solidarity, Christopher backed his sister over LADY GAGA, who he called a “court jester”.
He added: “I have nothing against Lady Gaga, she had some great tracks. I was never a fan of her performances or music videos as I always felt she was ripping us off.” He also shares his sister’s disapproval over Universal’s forthcoming Madonna biopic, Blond Ambition.
In April she wrote on Instagram: “Nobody knows what I know and what I have seen,
“Only I can tell my story. Anyone else who tries is a charlatan and a fool.”
Supporting her, Christopher said of the script: “I read it, it’s utter crap. Number one, I don’t even exist. I’m not even there.
“Then they got the names wrong, the timings wrong, the places wrong, events incorrect. On top of that, it’s a s****y script.”
And he insists the siblings have made progress, crediting their elderly father Tony for helping to repair their rift.
He said: “We’ve gotten past that, we talk.
“I just talked to her a couple of weeks ago when I was at my father’s vineyard.
“We email each other. Well, it’s passed for me, but I do know Madonna likes to hold grudges. There’s nothing I can do about that.”
I’m not sure these fresh blows will help to ease that . . .
READ ON FOR THE REST OF DAN WOOTTON'S BIZARRE COLUMN
Lady Gaga's paper-razzi
LADY GAGA looks to have taken up Origami in her time off.
The superstar kicked off her 60-date world tour in Vancouver, Canada, on Monday night wearing this white outfit that looked like folded paper.
She powered through almost as many costume changes as career-spanning hits – that included Paparazzi, Bad Romance and Born This Way – giving BEYONCE, who opened her Formation World our with an impressive nine outfits, a run for her money.
Later in the show Gaga, whose Joanne tour arrives in the UK in October, looked as if she had jumped straight out of bed in a red quilted gown. I’ve missed her.
Shaun has big secret
I CAN reveal CBB housemate SHAUN WILLIAMSON is secretly engaged.
He is set to marry Adele Seager next year and she has already moved into his house in Maidstone, Kent.
A source said: “Shaun is head over heels with Adele.
“He got down on one knee in February. They will get married in April next year.”
Shaun, best know as unlucky-in-love Barry Evans on EastEnders, has two children, Sophie and Joseph, with his former manager Melanie Jane Sacre.
The pair, married for nine years, divorced last year.
But it looks as if their relationship ended a few years earlier, as Melanie terminated him as company director of their joint celebrity management business in February 2014.
But Shaun, who has also appeared in Extras and Casualty, has bounced back.
He now has a new performing arts company, with he and Adele both named as directors.
According to bookies, Shaun is already the early front runner to win CBB.
His fellow housemates will be awaiting their wedding invites when they hear Shaun’s good news.
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Cheryl date
SINCE giving birth in March CHERYL has kept, er, mum about life with partner LIAM and son Bear.
But now she has promised This Morning’s RYLAN CLARK-NEAL she’ll tell all on the show.
After she posted pics on Instagram of her first day back at work, filming a L’Oreal ad, Rylan said: “This Morning was there. Because she’s such a big fan of EAMONN HOLMES, RUTH LANGSFORD and the This Morning family, Cheryl rang us and said, ‘Come along, I’ll give you my only TV interview’.
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Neither can I.
Madison's romance is far from Dead
MADISON BEER has chosen an odd time to release the video for her break-up anthem Dead – as her relationship with BROOKLYN BECKHAM appears very much alive.
In my exclusive still from the promo, the rising star is straddling a bed after reading the riot act to an unfaithful ex.
Madison was twice seen kissing Brooklyn last month.
Brooklyn showed off a new foot tattoo, reading Made in England. It’s only a matter of time before he gets an inking to Madison.
I’m thinking a pint glass.
True detector
WHEN Love Island’s GABBY ALLEN failed her lie detector test in the show’s villa, her romance with MARCEL SOMERVILLE was plunged into doubt.
But I did a second polygraph with the pair on ITV’s Lorraine, above, to get to the bottom of whether she really loves the former BLAZIN’ SQUAD member. I asked them if they could see wedding bells.
They replied yes, and the test concluded both were honest.
— JUSTIN BIEBER is bringing out a line of plain white T-shirts. A pop-up shop stocking the limited edition £22 tops, which were created with stylist Karla Welch, is set to open in LA or they are available at xkarla.com from today. He really is top of the pops.
— RIHANNA is keen to continue her role as a humanitarian. She met French president EMMANUEL MACRON last month to push education and now her Clara Lionel Foundation is donating bikes to Malawian girls to help them stay in school.
bizmeter: film
- WAR epic Dunkirk stands firm at the top of the box office. The film, directed by CHRISTOPHER NOLAN is only behind Beauty And The Beast for a film’s second-week takings this year, and has earned £27.02million for a ten-day total. Captain Underpants and Despicable Me 3 make up the top three.
- THE 74th Venice Film Festival will debut a line-up of potential Oscar contenders including GEORGE CLOONEY, JENNIFER LAWRENCE and MATT DAMON. Matt stars in two of the event’s big films, Downsizing and Suburbicon. It all kicks off in Italy on August 30.
- STAR Wars: Episode IX is getting a rewrite by Brit Jack Thorne, who co-wrote Harry Potter And The Cursed Child for the stage and is behind TV series National Treasure and Skins. Force Awakens stars DAISY RIDLEY and JOHN BOYEGA are expected to return, with a release date of May 24, 2019.
- EX Bond Girl HALLE BERRY has joined the debate about casting a female in the role of 007. She said: “I want women to be tough but I don’t know if Bond should be a woman. I mean, that series is steeped in history from Ian Fleming’s stories. I don’t think you can change Bond to a woman.”