Penn was 'love of Madonna's life'

Rex Features

Madonna's first husband Sean Penn was "the love of her life", her brother has claimed.

The singer never recovered from her split from Penn in 1989 after four years of marriage, according to Christopher Ciccone.

Speaking to Extra to promote his tell-all memoir Life With My Sister Madonna, he said: "Sean was definitely the love of her life."

He added that he and Penn had a close friendship, saying: "He cut my thumb open - he cut his open - we pressed them together and he was like, 'OK, cool - now we're blood brothers!'"

The TV chef, who is estranged from Madonna, previously blamed her current husband Guy Ritchie for the breakdown of their relationship.

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