Darren Hayes drops truly wild Madonna story on-air

“I guess I can say this now …” Former Savage Garden singer Darren Hayes just dropped a big revelation about his past dating life on-air.

Singer Darren Hayes told a truly wild story on-air this morning about his close encounters with pop superstar Madonna.

The former Savage Garden frontman and lifelong Madonna fan confessed that he had in the past dated not one, but two, members of the Queen of Pop’s inner circle – including her brother.

“I guess I can say this now because I’ve been married for 17 years, but I went on a few dates with her brother,” Hayes revealed to Fitzy and Wippa on Nova this morning.

Madonna’s younger brother Christopher was a close confidante to his sister throughout her career and even served as her back-up dancer in the ’80s – but the pair famously fell out after he penned a 2008 tell-all book, Life With My Sister Madonna.

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Darren Hayes. Picture: Toby Zerna

Madonna’s brother Christopher Ciccone. Picture: Getty

And Hayes confessed he also briefly went out with Alek Keshishian, director of the 1991 warts-and-all documentary In Bed With Madonna.

“The thing was, I wasn’t like a Madonna stalker. They could have introduced me to her the whole time. And it was really important for me to let them know, like, ‘No, I’m into you. I’m not into her,’ even though I was totally gagging to meet her,” he said.

Hayes explained that neither brief relationship worked out

“Christopher and I just didn’t gel. Alek and I had a really special connection … but it just wasn’t love for me.”

L-R: Christopher Ciccone, Madonna and Alek Keshishian at the 1991 premiere of Truth Or Dare. Picture: AP

And while he never actually met Madonna when he was dating two men close to her, Hayes still got his audience with the pop icon, years later – after he’d married husband Richard Cullen in 2005.

He explained he was invited to an intimate house party by a friend who also knew Madonna – and arrived with Richard to find both Madonna and Alek were in attendance.

“I walk into the room, I scan the room, and there’s a golden light from God on Madonna,” he joked.

Darren and husband Richard Cullen wed in 2005. Picture: Supplied

Hayes said meeting his idol didn’t disappoint: Madonna knew who he was and even remembered attending a Savage Garden concert back in 1998, telling him she’d loved it.

But Hayes said the mood changed later in the party when he saw Alek whispering in Madonna’s ear – he assumed he was filling her in on Hayes’ relationship history with both he and her brother.

Hayes said he ended up fleeing the party early with his husband, worried at what Madonna would think of him.

“I don’t know if she loves me now, because she obviously would have found out all that stuff,” he said.

Hayes wed his childhood sweetheart, makeup artist Colby Taylor, in 1994, but the couple split in 1998 at the height of Savage Garden’s fame. He publicly came out in 2005, the day before his marriage to Cullen. He’s currently in Australia promoting his new solo material – new single Poison Blood is out now – and 2023 national tour.