Watch: Madonna Mourns the Passing of Protégé Nick Kamen, Dead at 59

Madonna took to social media to mourn the passing of her one-time protégé, model Nick Kamen, who died May 4 after a long illness, the New York Post has reported.

Kamen was the star of an iconic 1985 Levi's ad. Titled "Laundrette," the clip showed the model entering a laundromat, dumping rocks into a washing machine, casually stripping off his shirt and brand-new 501 jeans, and tossing them into a washing machine along with the rocks. Kamen then settles in with a magazine to wait, clad only in his boxers.

To honor him, Madonna took to Twitter with several photos of her and Kamen. "It breaks my heart to know you are gone," she tweeted.

"You were always such a kind sweet human and you suffered too much. Hope you are happier wherever you are Nick Kamen."

As CNN reported, Kamen was born "in Essex, southeastern England" and "catapulted to fame when he appeared on the cover of 'The Face' magazine in 1984, wearing lipstick, aviator glasses and a ski hat."

It was the Levi's ad, CNN added, that made him "a global sex symbol."

Apart from modeling, Kamen was a pop star who collaborated with Madonna on his 1986 single "Each Time You Break My Heart." The song, which appeared on his eponymous debut album, was co-written by Stephen Bray and the "Vogue" superstar, who also contributed backing vocals on the song.

Madonna wasn't the only pop star to grieve Kamen's passing, as Boy George shared his own farewell message on Instagram.

According to The Post, Kamen had been suffering from bone marrow cancer. The outlet added that "despite undergoing several intense treatments, including stem cell treatment, his body gave in to cancer after being in remission."

The UK newspaper, The Independent, posted the famed Levi's ad. Watch the clip below.