Ariana DeBose’s mother Gina Michelle DeBose died Sunday morning “due to complications with stage 3 ovarian cancer,” the actress and singer said this week.
The “West Side Story” and “Love Hurts” star took to Instagram on Tuesday, posting a carousel of photos and a touching tribute to her “gorgeous, hilarious, outspoken, warrior queen Mother.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of her and how she fought this insidious disease over the past 3 years. She was 57 years young,” DeBose wrote in the caption.
“She was my favorite person, my biggest fan and toughest critic. My 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,” the post continued. “It had always been the two of us for as long as I can remember.”
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DeBose said her mom “fought like hell to give me a good life, a good education and every opportunity in the world. I wouldn’t be where I am without her.”
The Academy Award winner recalled a moment from her 2022 Oscars acceptance speech — delivered after winning the award for best supporting actress for her role as Anita in “West Side Story” — writing, “I meant it when I said my Oscar ‘is just as much hers as it is mine.'”
Theo Wargo/Getty Images – PHOTO: Ariana DeBose speaks during The 78th Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall, June 8, 2025 in New York City.
DeBose also highlighted her mom’s purpose in life, to educate young people.
“She passed just shy of delivering 30 years of service as a public school teacher,” she wrote. “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.”
She added that her “greatest and most proud achievement will always be to have made her proud.”
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In one of the carousel photos, DeBose left a detailed note outlining where people could donate in her mother’s memory.
“Details for a celebration of her life will be made available in the coming weeks,” the note read. “At this time, I ask that my family’s privacy be respected.”
A representative for DeBose did not immediately respond to ABC News’ request for comment.
What to know about ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is the second-most common gynecologic cancer in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the agency, the disease “causes more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system.”
While most women who are diagnosed with ovarian cancer are not at high risk, according to the CDC, there are many factors that could potentially increase a woman’s risk for ovarian cancer, including a family history of the disease; a genetic mutation such as BRCA1 or BRCA2, “or one associated with Lynch syndrome”; a history of breast, uterine or colon cancer; or a diagnosis of endometriosis, described by the CDC as a condition where tissue from the lining of the uterus grows elsewhere in the body.
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Those who are middle-aged or older, people with an Eastern European or Ashkenazi Jewish background, or those who have never given birth or who have had issues getting pregnant may also be at increased risk for ovarian cancer.
Symptoms can include abnormal vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain or pressure, bloating, a change in bowel habits, or “feeling full too quickly, or difficulty eating.”
Knowing risk factors is imperative as the Pap test does not screen for ovarian cancer, and the CDC says “there is no reliable way to screen for ovarian cancer in women who do not have any symptoms.”
