The country music world is praying for singer Coffey Anderson after he announced that his ex-wife, Criscilla, has died.
Criscilla Anderson, 45, died on Dec. 2. She had been battling colon cancer since 2019.
“Criscilla defined strength and fighter like no other person on the planet,” Coffey wrote on Instagram. “Heaven gained a star today. She said before she passed, ‘if you see a butterfly, that will be me. If you miss me, a butterfly will show up. Remember … I’ll be there with you.’
“We miss you already,” he continued. “Our hearts are shattered. Our minds are jumbled. Our lives will never be the same. The house is quieter because you’re missing. The babies are resilient and strong as ever. We did good with them. So, dance your heart out on the beach in heaven. No more pain, no colostomy bag, no more neuropathy, no chemo, or radiation and you can eat as much dessert as you want with no calories.”
Coffey added a final, heartbreaking sentence.
“I’m glad you get to meet the two babies we lost …” he wrote. “I love you more. 143. #cancersucks.”
The Andersons gained popularity when they starred in the Netflix’s 2020 reality series “Country Ever After.” Criscilla is a former hip-hop dancer.
According to Today, Criscilla’s friend, Lindsey, was updating fans on her fight on Instagram. And, in November, she revealed the “terminal diagnosis” while calling Criscilla “the strongest human I’ve ever met.”
“Seven years ago she was given two years to live,” she wrote. “Here we are, five years past that prognosis, and she’s still fighting with a grit and grace that humbles us all.”
Lindsey added that Criscilla had been admitted to the hospital at the time for “cancerous fluid around her heart and a stroke.”
Lindsey shared a statement from Criscilla on Instagram on Tuesday.
“My heart is shattered to share this,” Lindsey wrote. “I promised Criscilla I would walk this journey with her whenever she couldn’t stand on her own two feet, and I pray she knows how fiercely she was loved. Being be her side until the very end was the greatest honor of my life.”
She then shared Criscilla’s words.
“My sweet community,” she wrote. “If you’re reading this, I’ve finally slipped into the arms of Jesus — peacefully and surrounded by love. Please don’t stay in the darkness of this moment. I fought hard and I loved deeply. I am not gone. I’m home. To my children — my whole heart. Ethan, you made me a mom. I’m still beside you, cheering you on. Savannah, my bonus girl — you were a gift God knew I needed. Emmarie, my Jesus-loving dancer — keep dancing through every season. Everleigh, my bright spark — chase your dreams boldly and without fear. My babies … I am watching over you. When a moment feels warm, familiar, or too beautiful to be coincidence — that’s me. I’m still mother you. I’m still yours. #everybutterfly.
“To my circle of women — my sisters,” she continued. “Thank you for holding me when I couldn’t stand, wiping my tears, taking me to appointments, and making me laugh. You were God’s hands in my life for years. To my family … thank you for loving me so unconditional. Please take care of one another — my love is still wrapped around you. And to (Lindsey) — the best photographer on the planet … thank you for capturing my life so beautifully year after year. No more Photoshop, sis — Jesus just gave this girl wings!
“Be gentle with each other. Hold my children close. And remember: heaven isn’t as far away as it feels. I love you all. Always. – Criscilla.”
