Madonna shared a touching tribute to son Rocco Ritchie on his 24th birthday alongside some rare photos of her eldest son.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROCCO – the long and winding road through all your many moods and incarnations has been turbulent and full of surprises,” wrote 65-year-old Madonna on Instagram on Sunday, August 11, posting an extensive carousel of old home videos and photos of Rocco from his childhood and youth.
“But through it all, your curiosity and artistic soul were the glue that held us together,” Madonna’s caption continued. “Thank God for art. Thank God for you. We’ve been together for many lifetimes. Thank you for choosing me again. I love you forever. ♥️ @roccoritchie.”
Madonna shares Rocco with ex-husband Guy Ritchieand the eldest daughter Lourdes Leon, 27, with ex Carlos LeonThe pop icon also has four adopted children: David Banda, 18, Mercy James, 17, and 10-year-old twins Stella and Esteres.
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Rocco’s relationship with his mother has seen many ups and downs. In 2016, when Madonna and Ritchie were negotiating a custody agreement for Rocco as part of their ongoing divorce, the then 16-year-old was arrested in London for marijuana possession. At the time, Madonna vowed that she would stand by her son during his legal troubles.
“I love my son very much,” Madonna told the Related Press in November 2016. “I will do everything I can to give him the support he needs and I ask that you respect our privacy at this time.” At the time, Rocco was living with Ritchie in London after he refused to return to his mother’s home in New York City the previous December.
Late last year, Madonna’s children rallied around her when the singer was hospitalized for a bacterial infection and spent several days in intensive care. A source exclusively reported We weekly in November 2023 that the children did not want Madonna to overexert herself too soon after her hospital stay.
“Madonna’s children didn’t want her to push herself too hard too soon, but they know music is her passion and she was determined to tour,” the source said at the time. “They trust her to listen to her body and take it easy when she needs to.”
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Madonna had to cancel several tour dates due to her hospital stay. After her release, the Grammy winner broke her silence about her health problems in an Instagram post. “My first thought when I woke up in the hospital was my children,” she wrote. “My second thought was that I didn’t want to disappoint anyone who had bought tickets to my tour.”
She started the Celebration Tour in December 2023 and is scheduled to bring the show to Europe in October.
