The Dark & Tragic Life Of Madonna's Son Rocco Ritchie

Rocco Ritchie — the son of pop legend Madonna and British filmmaker Guy Ritchie — may have grown up in the spotlight, but neither fame nor fortune could shield him from life's many tragedies. Born in 2000, Rocco has lived most of his life in the public eye, with many watching him evolve from a tiny tot into a self-assured adult. Interestingly, Rocco inherited his parents' love for art, leading him to pursue a career as an artist. "Neither of my parents are painters, but both are artists in their own right and they taught me to appreciate and respect it," he shared in a 2022 interview with Vogue. "Their shared fascination eventually piqued my interest and since I can remember I've always been surrounded by it."

Therefore, it's hardly a surprise that Madonna has turned out to be her son's biggest fan, with numerous public shows of support over the years. In April 2024, the famous pop star took to Instagram, celebrating the success of Rocco's art exhibition at the Miami Design District. "So Proud!" she gushed. A few months later, Madonna praised Rocco's love for art, while wishing him a happy birthday. "The Long and Winding Road through all your many moods and incarnations has been tumultuous and full of surprises. But through it all — your curiosity and Artistic Soul has been the glue that has held us together," she added.

Through a successful career and the support of his parents, however, Rocco has also faced his fair share of life troubles.

In March 2000, Madonna announced she was expecting her first child with then-boyfriend Guy Ritchie. "We would be grateful if the media would kindly allow us some privacy at this special time and we thank you all for your good wishes," the couple shared in a joint statement to BBC.

Five months later, the couple's son, Rocco, was born. "English film director Guy Ritchie and Madonna are delighted to announce the birth of their son, Rocco Ritchie, on August 11, 2000," publicist Liz Rosenberg said in a statement (via The Guardian). "Overjoyed mother, father, and sister Lourdes are all safe and sound at an undisclosed location," Rosenberg added, referencing Madonna's first child, Lourdes Leon.

But while Madonna and Rocco turned out fine, the hours leading up to the delivery were difficult, as Madonna was reportedly rushed to the hospital after experiencing severe abdominal pain and blood loss. On getting to the hospital, doctors discovered a detached placenta had cut off the baby's oxygen supply, leaving them no option but to perform a cesarean section. "Madonna lost a lot of blood. For any mother, just seeing that amount of blood is terrifying," a hospital source told the BBC. Despite the complications surrounding his birth, Rocco came out healthy, weighing 5 pounds, 9 ounces at birth.

In his teenage years, Rocco Ritchie and Madonna grew apart, with things coming to a head when they were on the 2015 Rebel Heart tour together. Though he initially enjoyed being on tour with her, Ritchie soon grew frustrated with his mother's busy schedule. "Rocco spent most of the second half of 2015 on tour with his mother and got upset about not spending enough time with her," a source explained to Page Six. "And when Rocco did see her, he felt like she was trying to micromanage his life."

The pair's relationship was further strained by Madonna's strict parenting rules, which included a macrobiotic diet and a firm punishment system — something the singer had previously hinted at back in 2005. "I'm the disciplinarian," she shared in an interview with The Telegraph. "I just take things away — I take privileges away. The kids get to watch movies every Sunday, so if they're naughty they get their movie taken away." Describing it as "trash" and "poison," the "La Isla Bonita" singer also revealed that her kids were not allowed to watch television.

Guy Ritchie, whom Madonna described as "the spoiler" in her interview with The Telegraph, had a distinctively different approach to parenting. For instance, when in London with Guy, Rocco enjoyed a lot more freedom, compared to his life with Madonna in New York. "When he stays with his father ... Rocco is allowed to play guitar until the early hours of the morning," a source shared with Page Six in 2016. Ultimately, this stark contrast contributed to tension between the exes.

After struggling to get along with his mother for months, Rocco Ritchie ditched Madonna's Rebel Heart tour in December 2015, instead opting to go live with his father Guy Ritchie in London. "There were horrible, full-blown fights with screaming and crying," one source claimed to TMZ, with another adding that Rocco felt more like a "trophy" than a son to Madonna. Despite the singer's attempts to get him back to New York for the holidays, Rocco stayed back in London, leading Madonna to seek a court order asking the teenager to return.

Though the judge ruled in the singer's favor, Rocco stood his ground, choosing to remain in London with his father. "The boy said he didn't want to stay with her. He's not getting along with his mom, which is not a surprise for a child that age," an insider told Page Six. Determined to support his son's decision, Guy hired his own lawyer, challenging Madonna for custody.

In the months that followed, Madonna and Guy engaged in a contentious custody battle, with Ellen Sigal, Rocco's court-appointed lawyer, later admitting the custody battle had taken a toll on the teenager. "It's been a very difficult time for him. We hope to put an end to this as soon as possible without exposing him to more litigation, press innuendo, any of that kind of thing," she shared in court, per the BBC. In September 2016, after eight months, Guy and Madonna settled the custody battle, with both agreeing for Rocco to remain in London with his father.

Shortly after the custody battle, Rocco Ritchie found himself in another distressing situation — this time, with the law. In September 2016, Rocco was arrested in London for cannabis possession after neighbors alerted police of his suspicious activities. "Rocco has become a well-known figure in the neighborhood and not for the right reasons. He's been repeatedly seen acting suspiciously," a source told The Sun at the time.

Following his arrest, Rocco was mandated to undergo a triage system under the Camden Borough's Youth Offending Team. The initiative, targeted at first-time minor offenders, saw Rocco attend workshops to address his problems. While the arrest did not count as a criminal record, it went on Rocco's permanent record.

Expectedly, Madonna supported her son through his legal ordeals. "I love my son very much. I will do whatever I can to give him the support that he needs, and I ask that you respect our privacy at this time," she said in a statement to AP. Interestingly, Rocco's arrest came only a few weeks after Madonna hinted at the teenager's wild and rebellious ways in a birthday tribute. "Happy Birthday Wild Child! Time waits for no one!!" she wrote on Instagram (via Us Weekly) in celebration of the teenager's 16th birthday in August 2016.

A year after his arrest, in December 2017, Rocco Ritchie made headlines again after he was spotted by paparazzi cameras with an alcoholic drink outside a London pub. At the time, Ritchie was not legally allowed to drink alcohol in public, as he was only 17. Kids between the ages of 5 and 17 in the U.K. are only allowed to drink alcohol at home or other private locations, but not in licensed places like pubs. 

This incident, however, was not exactly surprising, as Rocco had reportedly been spotted hanging out in pubs the previous year. "Around the time he was arrested, I used to see him in the local pub. I don't think they ever served him because they know who he is and he's 16," a source told the Daily Mail. Neighbors also expressed concerns over Rocco's choice of friends, with one person noting, "He is a polite boy, but he hangs around with boys from an estate who are not so polite ... Some of the boys from the local estate, they are the ones who used to scale the walls to get into the pub."

In May 2018, Ritchie — who was still 17 — was once again spotted by cameras hanging out with a friend outside a tavern while enjoying a drink. Though he drank from a pint glass, the Daily Mail clarified that there was no proof to suggest he was having an alcoholic drink.

In June 2023, Madonna had a medical emergency after being found unresponsive. Her manager, Guy Oseary, would later confirm that the singer had an infection. "On Saturday, June 24, Madonna developed a serious bacterial infection which led to a several-day stay in the ICU," Oseary wrote in a statement shared on his Instagram.

A family member would later allege to the Daily Mail that Madonna's health scare was more severe than publicly revealed, with her family fearing the worst at some point. "For the past couple of days, no one really knew which direction this was going to turn, and her family was preparing for the worst. That is why it was kept a secret since Saturday. Everyone believed that we may lose her and that has been the reality of the situation," the insider shared. Despite the near-death experience, however, Oseary assured the public that Madonna's health was improving. "A full recovery is expected," he added in his statement.

Madonna's six children were by her side during her health scare. After getting discharged from the hospital, the singer reflected on the overwhelming support she received from her kids while in the hospital. "But when the chips were down my children really showed up for me. I saw a side to them I had never seen before. It made all the difference," she gushed in a heartwarming Instagram post.

In 2018, Rocco Ritchie started creating and selling art under the pseudonym, Rhed, with his artistic style being shaped by his upbringing between New York and London. In a 2022 interview with Artnet, Ritchie opened up about his decision to use a fake name, explaining that it was driven by a desire to be successful without his parents' influence. "I'm proud of who I am and where I've come from, but I know people would have judged me aggressively in my early stages if I came out with my name," he shared.

Ritchie's attempt to carve out his own creative path, however, was not able to shield him from public criticism. In 2021, Page Six ousted Ritchie as the face behind Rhed, leading to a trail of backlash from social media users. "His 'art' it's the most hideous, atrocious garbage I have ever laid eyes on," one person wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "These unfortunate children of mega stars trying to find some relevancy as well... that art is... not good," another person tweeted.

Professional critics also had their share of skepticism about Ritchie's art. Jonathan Jones, an art critic for The Guardian, described Rhed's art as "adolescent efforts with no sign of originality or vigour." But Ritchie seems to be drowning out the noise as he continues to pursue his passion and create art on his own terms.

In 2014, Rocco Ritchie was caught in the middle of a social media controversy after sharing a video of ISIS terrorists executing children. "I think if you're still being a d*** to people, I would stop. We've got a little worse of a problem on are hands here guys. We don't need more negative a** holes here," Rocco captioned the post (via Express). Rocco's post drew mixed reactions from fans, with many questioning whether it was appropriate or not. "A 14-year-old boy really shouldn't be watching & posting things like this. Very disturbing," one fan commented. However, a few others praised Rocco's activism, with one person calling the disturbing video "exactly the kind of stuff the world needs to witness."

Responding to critics, Madonna took to Instagram (via Express) to show support for Ritchie while defending his decision to share the video. "I applaud my son's desire to express his outrage by posting footage of ISIS on Instagram. Humans are becoming numb to this violent imagery. He is saying our problems are nothing compared to whats going on around the world. Freedom Fighting is in his blood. Lets pray for PEACE! #rebelheart #livingforlove." Amid the backlash, however, Ritchie took down the video.