Christopher Ciccone, the Roger Clinton of the celebrity world, has written a memoir about his sister, Madonna, and judging from the excerpt on the Daily Mail Online, it is not pretty (or good). Here's an excerpt of the excerpt: I am not keen to attend the wedding because I really can't afford it. Moreover, I no longer have any affinity for Guy.
But Madonna owes me the final payment for the interior design work I did on one of her houses and when I call to make my apologies, her assistant tells me the debt will be paid in the form of a ticket to Scotland, with the rest of the money sent separately. . . .
A business-class air ticket is sent to me from Madonna's office. When I check the price, I discover that only a few hundred dollars of my fee remain outstanding. Once in London, I follow instructions and go to Moss Bros on Regent Street to rent my tuxedo. It's pure polyester, and when I slide the jacket on, it burns my fingers.
The shop assistant presents me with the rental bill. 'Put it on Guy's bill,' I say, and walk out.
Wow, talk about a sense of entitlement. And there's nothing even that scandalous here. So, Guy may be a little icy. So, the marriage may have hit rough patches. So, Madonna took a while to pay her brother for some of the design work she hired him for. So, she may have exaggerated how broke she was when she moved to NYC. So?No doubt Madonna is hard to be related to, both because she is such a strong personality and because she doesn't exactly seem like a cuddly earth mother type who would have a lot of time for a middle-aged sibling with financial trouble. But that's hardly an excuse for trying to get revenge on her by publishing intimate details of her life (not to mention unflattering personal photos).
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. It stands to reason that when one sibling becomes famous, sibling rivalry and jealousy take over. No, Madonna is no saint, but this guy is just looking to make money and get his fifteen minutes of fame. Besides, is there anything he could tell us about his sister that would honestly shock us? Love her or hate her, Madonna's life has been an open book (no pun intended) since we first heard of her. Subtle is not her middle name.
David S. at 5:15PM on Jul 14th 2008
2. I think you miss the point, Ada Calhoun. Madonna is not now and has never been a madonna. She's just an old slut. And her brother is outing her. Someone should have done that long ago. I say, Three Cheers to the Brother!!!
emmaline at 7:28PM on Jul 14th 2008
3.
Hmmm...
a rich jerk writes a book about his rich jerk sister.
In today's mentality, it's bound to be a best-seller.
ex-christian at 7:33PM on Jul 14th 2008
4.
I find it curiously close to her next album release.
One is surely coming out soon.... Why would this surprise me? It's a common trick amongst the once (or future) enormously famous.
mac at 11:26PM on Jul 14th 2008
5. Ada Calhoun,
Madonna and Christopher Ciccone were close at one time. I think all families kind of ebb and flow over the years and now he is willing to take that to a low you wouldn't expect from family.
I'm sure Madonna has binding confidentiality contracts with other people she works with. You wouldn't think it necessary with family. He wasn't up front about why he was not attending her wedding. She may have sincerely thought taking part of what she owed him to get him there and paying the rest by other means was helping him.
To have your own family betray you for money is just unthinkable. The excerpt shows how petty he is. It reveals very little about her. I know she takes her spirituality very seriously and she will forgive him. I can't imagine this will sell that well, but you never know what trash is worth to the masses.
Sincerely and respectfully,
Mr. Clark
Mr. Clark at 12:17AM on Jul 15th 2008
6. Indeed, Ms. Calhoun misses the point entirely. Madonna is a Queen bee type with an Alpha personality and made it big in part, due to her brother's complete and utter devotion to her; not to mention all the emotional support he gave to her free of charge all of these years. Sounds to me as if Christopher had to weather many storms for Madonna and even combined his talents and hard work with hers to help create the superstar we have come to know as Madonna with minor compensation to show for it. He even had to ask for the money she OWED him for all of the hard work he did on her multiple mansions and fancy penthouses.
I once saw Madonna as a guest on Jay Leno in the early 90's with her then pal Rosie O'Donnell who had recently starred in a movie with Madonna. Madonna was so rude and crass to Rosie that Rosie was pleading for mercy. Then Madonna moved on to critisize Mr. and Mrs. Tom Cruise's new movie 'Far and Away' by referring to it as borrrrrrrrrrrrrring. Which was so untrue and just proved to me what a shallow, mean and hugely jealous woman she really is. Her brother was correct to write this book and profit in some small way since it is obvious his millionaire sister Madonna wasn't about to buy him anything worth more than a buck. She is an unbelievable miser with her money to the people that should matter the most to her and has such an overblown sense of entitlement. If her marriage fails with boytoy Guy (10 years her junior) It would serve her right for thinking happy, healthy, relationships are built on phony, baloney fairy tales, phony baloney A-list friends and extravagant lifestyles and dreams of being a member of the royal family. And her poor kids have to feast on her Kabbalah inspired strict diet of herbs and other nonsense. What a Mommy Dearest lunatic.
Susan at 1:17AM on Jul 15th 2008
7. Wow, so you saw Madonna once on Jay Leno and now you know all about her private family life? It's called JOKES, that's what people do on late-night shows. And if her brother was that talented as a decorator he would have his own clients and wouldn't have to be paid in airline tickets, then try to make money off a tell-all book.
Melissa at 6:18AM on Jul 15th 2008
8. You've obviously never been to the reading of a will, have you? LOL
Families and their greed and betrayal of one another for money is a thing of legend my friend.
Sad, but true.
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To have your own family betray you for money is just unthinkable.
Chris at 10:53AM on Jul 15th 2008
9. She decided how money she owed someone should be used? Here is a filthy rich queen-bee issuing orders "lesser" mortals, in this case her own brother. If I had her money, my siblings would have everything. Gorgeous Guy Ritchie is probably still with her because her money would buy custody of Rocco.
glory25420 at 1:29PM on Jul 15th 2008
10. Say what you will about how crass it is to write this book, but I disagree. Any celebrity, with hundreds of millions of $$ that doesen't "take care" of her immediate family deserves to be outed for what she is. Not to be lied about, but a "tell all" book, heck yea. There is absolutely NO excuse for her brother to scrounge around for cash when his sister is who she is. Good for him.. I hope he got a hefty advance and the book is a hit.
Tinabeana at 1:32PM on Jul 15th 2008
11. Madonna made it on he talent and hers alone. Her brother had zilch to do with her fame. He wants money from her constantly and if she doesn;t fork out he goes into his girly rages. If he had not hit on her husband Madonna might not be so made. Yup he hit on her husband and several friends of theirs and if anyone is a slut it is him. YOu people kow zilch about Madoona or her private life only things you think you know you get out of your daily reading of the rag mags LOL Get a life .
JUDY at 4:39PM on Jul 19th 2008