Madonna's stepmom Joan Ciccone spent last days in agony while caring for singer's Parkinson's-stricken dad
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The final days of Madonna's stepmother, Joan Ciccone, were filled with agony while fighting a "very aggressive cancer."
Her days before succumbing to the disease at the age of 81 on September 24 were spent caring for the pop star's father, Silvio 'Tony' Ciccone, who is suffering from Parkinson's disease, according to RadarOnline.
While Madonna climbed the ladder of success, topping the charts, her stepmother and 93-year-old father stayed away from the limelight, running a winery in Michigan for three decades.
Joan Ciccone's final days were filled with 'pain'
An insider revealed to RadarOnline how Joan Ciccone spent her last days battling cancer.
"Joan's last days were full of pain – not only for herself, but for Madonna's father, who is battling Parkinson's," the anonymous source claimed.
Joan had recently shared insights into her life working alongside Tony in winemaking as his illness advanced.
"He manages. It's hard for him to walk. But he's certainly not the limber fellow he used to be," she said to The Detroit News.
Joan stepped into the 'Vogue' singer's family when the latter was only eight years old. Joan, who worked as a housekeeper in her family, married Tony after his first wife's death in 1963.
Later, Madonna admitted that she did not accept her stepmother while growing up, and that was hard for her because she did not want to accept any changes in her life. In a 2015 interview, the singer stated she "didn’t have any relationship" with Joan and did not have a "role model" in life.
Unlike her relationship with her stepmother, Madonna was close to her father. For his 93rd birthday in June, the pop singer took to her Instagram to share a wholesome carousel of herself and her father over the years.
"Congratulations for riding the roller coaster of life with humor and sanity intact," Madonna wrote. "Thank you for sharing your mantra in life with me, which is: 'I'm gonna go until the wheels fall off.'"
"Nothing can stop us! Love you to the moon and back," the singer added.
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Silvio 'Tony' Ciccone established winery in 1995
Tony Ciccone, who stayed away from the fame of his successful daughter, established the Ciconne Vineyard & Winery in Michigan along with Joan in 1995.
"I saw the hills, the barn, the house and realized most of my work was done except to plant the vines and create a winery, and that's what I did," read a quote from Madonna's father on the Ciconne Vineyard & Winery website.
Except for Madonna, his children Mario, Paula, and Jennifer have been a part of the winery business.
Mario is the current manager of the vineyard, while Paula is an expert in making wines, a skill passed on to her by her father. Jennifer joined the team to support her father and now carries on the vision he and Joan had built.
