Heartbreaking Facts About Madonna’s Son

It should come as no surprise that Rocco Ritchie, son of Madonna and Guy Ritchie, is a talented and creative artist. The young man spent years both studying and perfecting his craft and has developed a unique painting style that has taken the art world by storm. “I was fortunate enough to know what I wanted to do at a young age and once I had settled into art school, it kick-started my work,” Rocco told Vogue Hong Kong. The artist has since taken part in a number of exhibitions, including one he held in the Miami Design District in April of 2024.

Rocco’s work has earned many fans over the years, but arguably his biggest supporter is his pop superstar mother. “The long and winding road through all your many moods and incarnations has been tumultuous and full of surprises,” she wrote on Instagram on his 24th birthday in 2024. “But through it all — your curiosity, and Artistic Soul has been the glue that held us together. Thank God for Art.” While his life might sound charmed on paper, things haven’t always been easy for Madonna’s son. Rocco’s faced legal troubles, weathered a lot of family drama, and been subjected to the harsh gaze of the public eye.

On August 11, 2000, Rocco Ritchie made his entrance into the world, though the hours leading up to his birth were far from easy. His mother, Madonna, was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, experiencing severe abdominal pain and abnormal bleeding. Madonna was dealing with a detached placenta, cutting off Rocco’s oxygen. Doctors performed an emergency C-section to save both mother and baby. “Madonna lost a lot of blood,” a hospital source shared with the BBC. Fortunately, the star had the support of her then-boyfriend, Guy Ritchie, who stood by her side during the procedure. Though born three weeks early, Rocco was a happy and healthy baby, weighing 5 pounds, 9 ounces.

Madonna implemented strict household rules while raising her eldest children. On a 2012 episode of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (via USA Today), DeGeneres suggested Madonna might be “strict,” to which Rocco replied, “She’s very strict but in a good way.” In a 2021 chat with Debi Mazar for Interview, Madonna’s daughter Lourdes Leon said, “My mom is such a control freak, and she has controlled me my whole life.” A source told Page Six the kids had to stick to Madonna’s strict sugar-free, dairy-free, salt-free, and preservative-free diet, and watching television was also forbidden.

As a teen, Rocco grew frustrated with his mother’s rules, driving a wedge between them, and he began favoring his father. “When he stays with his father, Rocco is allowed to play guitar until the early hours of the morning,” one of Guy Richie’s colleagues told Page Six. In 2014, when he was 14 years old, Rocco sparked controversy by uploading a graphic video of ISIS killing civilians. His post urged followers to recognize the horrors happening around the world. The post received backlash, and Rocco deleted the video. Madonna stood by her child’s message, posting, “I applaud my son’s desire to express his outrage by posting footage of ISIS on Instagram.”

Rocco reportedly thought Madonna’s Instagram posts went too far, blocking her on social media in January 2016. An unnamed source told The Sun (via Cosmopolitan), “Rocco apparently felt like a ‘trophy’ rather than her son.” The situation unfolded while Madonna and Guy Ritchie were in the middle of a custody battle. In 2015, TMZ noted Rocco was probably unhappy about his mom including an inappropriate hashtag alongside a video of him doing a backflip in his underwear. Later that year, the Daily Mail reported Rocco didn’t want to spend Christmas with his mom.

In 2015, Rocco left Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour and headed to his father’s house. According to Page Six, Rocco felt Madonna was not spending enough time with him. “Even by her ruthless standards, Madonna has been particularly driven on the tour, and when Rocco did see her, he felt like she was trying to micromanage his life,” a source said. This led to a messy legal battle, as Madonna took the matter to court. Even after a judge ordered Rocco to go with Madonna, Guy Ritchie’s team fought the decision. The case was hard on Rocco, with his court-appointed lawyer noting signs of emotional strain.

On September 28, 2016, Rocco was arrested for cannabis possession in North London. Residents called the police after seeing the boys “smoking or doing drugs” in the area. As this was a minor offense, Rocco did not face criminal charges. His mother stood by him, telling the AP, “I love my son very much, and I ask that you respect our privacy at this time.” Despite this, media reports painted a complicated picture of Rocco’s behavior, including sneaking into bars underage.

In June 2023, Madonna was hospitalized after a serious health scare due to a bacterial infection while rehearsing for The Celebration Tour. Her children and relatives were contacted immediately. “Everyone believed that we may lose her,” a relative told the Daily Mail. Rocco and his brother David Banda were seen visiting their mother’s apartment in New York City and solemnly making their way up to her home. Thankfully, Madonna made a full recovery, later expressing her gratitude on Instagram for her children’s support.

Despite his challenges, Rocco has continued to pursue his passion for art. Creating under the pseudonym “Rhed,” he found success but faced backlash when his identity was revealed. Critics claimed his art wasn’t ready for such attention. Despite this, he’s continued to develop his craft, with Madonna showing her pride by posting about his exhibitions on Instagram.

Source: The List