Madonna's Stepmom Joan Ciccone Has Died at 81 — What Was Her Cause of Death?

Pop star Madonna has lost a member of her family. Her stepmother, Joan Ciccone, who was married to her father Silvio for 58 years, has died at the age of 81. Following the news of Joan's death, many wanted to know more about what happened to her, and what her cause of death was.

Madonna has not yet spoken about her stepmom's death, but an online obituary has some details about what happened to her. Here's what we know.

According to an online obituary, Joan died on Tuesday, Sept. 24 “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 continued.

Joan entered Madonna's life when the singer was just 8 years old, marrying her father Silvio in 1966.

Madonna's mother, who was also named Madonna, had died in 1963 when she was just 30 years old and her daughter was only 5.

Throughout her career, Madonna has been open about the fact that her relationship with Joan was not always an easy one. In an interview with Larry King in 2002, Madonna took at least part of the responsibility for the difficult she had with her stepmother when she was growing up.

It's not totally clear whether Madonna and Joan's relationship changed over the years, but there are videos circulating of the two hugging after a concert in 2012 that suggests they might have eventually grown closer.

Madonna was one of six children that her father shared with her mother, and Silvio and Joan also had two children, Jennifer, now 56, and Mario, now 55.

Although she was intimately connected to one of the most famous pop stars in history, Joan seems to have maintained a relatively low profile. She was born in Michigan, and according to her obituary, she worked as a dental assistant after graduating from Henry Ford Community College. She also ran a daycare for more than 20 years.

She and Silvio moved Suttons Bay, Mich. to develop and operate Ciccone Vineyard and Winery. Silvio, at 93, is still alive today.

“She took special joy in her grandkids later in life and with the grim cancer prognosis lamented that she was sad she would not see them marry and have kids of their own,” the obituary explained.

Madonna has yet to acknowledge her stepmother's death, which may make sense given their complicated relationship.

It's also possible that she is taking this time to be with her family and mourn the loss privately. Although she was open about her complicated relationship with her stepmother, Madonna, who is now 66, has definitely accumulated plenty of wisdom over the course of her long career. Hopefully she can bring some of that wisdom to bear in the aftermath of this loss.