Broadway star Ariana DeBose is mourning the death of her mom, Gina Michelle DeBose.
Ariana, best known for her roles in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story and Hamilton, announced her mother’s passing on Tuesday, August 19.
According to Ariana, Gina died “at 10:28 a.m. on August 17.” The 57-year-old, who Ariana described as “gorgeous, hilarious, outspoken, a warrior queen,” died following “complications with stage 3 ovarian cancer.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of her and how she fought this insidious disease over the past 3 years,” Ariana, 34, wrote on Instagram.
The performer called her mom her “favorite person, my biggest fan and toughest critic.” Gina was her “best friend.”
“She was my date to every important moment in my professional and personal life. And I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Ariana continued. “It had always been the two of us for as long as I can remember.”
Ariana remembered her mom’s fight to give her “a good life, a good education and every opportunity in the world. I wouldn’t be where I am without her. I meant it when I said my Oscar ‘is just as much hers as it is mine.’”
Ariana was referring to her acceptance speech after winning the Oscar for Supporting Actress for her role as Anita in West Side Story in 2022.
The first person she hugged before going on stage to accept her award was her mom, Gina. As she thanked the many people in her life while holding her Oscar, Ariana said, “I’m going to wrap this up and talk about my family, my mother, who is here tonight.”
“Mama, I love you with my whole heart,” she continued. “This is as much yours as it is mine.”
Ariana noted her mom’s love of painting, playing cards, good music and snuggling her cars. “But her life’s purpose,” Ariana wrote, “aside from being my mom, was educating young people.”
“She passed just shy of delivering 30 years of service as a public school teacher (most currently 8th grade social studies),” the proud daughter continued. “And, my god, did she thrive in a classroom. Her creativity knew no bounds. She was beloved and incredibly respected by her colleagues and students alike. The greatest advocate for the underdog, a believer in arts education and the smartest person I know – with a willingness to speak her mind regardless of the consequences. But she was also a heart forward individual who believed in hard work, compassion and empathy in the same breath.”
“I know that many people in her community will feel the loss of her deeply for she was her own brand of local celebrity. She was a force of epic proportion,” Ariana wrote, saying that personally her greatest achievement was making her mom proud.
“I love you mommy. Now travel amongst the seas, the winds and the angels as I know you always loved to do.”
In a slide of her Instagram post, Ariana encouraged those who would like to honor Gina to donate to The National Ovarian Cancer Society, OVARIES. TALK ABOUT THEM, and TEAL DIVA.
