Netflix star Criscilla Anderson has passed away after a battle with cancer.
Criscilla, who was 45, announced the tragic news herself in a message posted posthumously on social media.
The mom appeared on Netflix’s 2020 reality show Country Ever After with her then-husband, country singer Coffey Anderson. The show documented their marriage and how she coped with her colon cancer diagnosis.
Netflix personality and dancer Criscilla Anderson has passed away at 45 after a battle with cancer
She was also an accomplished hip-hop dancer, having choreographed for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and performed with Britney Spears, Rihanna, and Snoop Dogg.
“If you’re reading this, I’ve finally slipped into the arms of Jesus – peacefully and surrounded by love,” Criscilla wrote in the post shared on her Instagram page on Tuesday (December 2.)
“Please don’t stay in the darkness of this moment. I fought hard and I loved deeply. I am not gone … I’m Home.”
She then addressed her three children, whom she shares with Coffey, and her “bonus girl,” her stepdaughter Savannah.
“Ethan, you made me a mum. I’m still beside you, cheering you on,” Criscilla wrote. “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.”
The mother announced her passing in a message shared posthumously on her Instagram page
The reality star reassured her children that they would continue to feel her protection and love even after her passing.
“My babies … I am watching over you,” she added. “When a moment feels warm, familiar, or too beautiful to be coincidence — that’s me. I’m still mothering you. I’m still yours.”
She expressed her gratitude for her “circle of women” who had held her “when I couldn’t stand,” and thanked her family for their “unconditional” love.
“Please take care of one another — my love is still wrapped around you. Be gentle with each other. Hold my children close. And remember: heaven isn’t as far away as it feels. I love you all.”
Criscilla was first diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in 2018. At the time, she had been given two years to live.
She was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2018 and was told she had two years to live
Following treatment, she went into remission in 2021, but the cancer returned the next year.
Months before her cancer came back, the dancer told People magazine that she was aware of the possibility of receiving bad news again.
“The thing with cancer is that the chances of it returning are very, very high,” she explained.
“That’s why it’s always been important for me to not only celebrate all the victories, but prepare my mind for a bad scan, which takes us right back to the drawing board. It’s almost like I have to treat the cancer like a chronic disease.”
She said her mood often shifted between anger, sadness, and hope. “The fight is still on, but I have a lot of fight in me.”
Last month, her friend Lindsey, who shared Criscilla’s goodbye message, revealed that her colon cancer had metastasized to her brain following a stroke.
She shared that her friend was planning to undergo chemotherapy and was actively exploring trials specializing in colon cancer research.
Criscilla appeared with her then-husband Coffey Anderson on Netflix’s Country Ever After and performed with Britney Spears
Colon cancer is a disease that begins with small clumps of cells (polyps) forming on the inner lining of the colon and rectum. Cancerous polyps may grow from the colon’s inner lining and spread to other parts of the body.
Survival rates vary depending on the cancer’s location at diagnosis.
According to the US National Cancer Institute, localized cancer (which only affects the colon) has a survival rate of 91%. If it has spread to the liver, lungs, or other areas of the body, the survival rate is 13%.
Surgery is the most common treatment for colon cancer that hasn’t spread, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Patients may receive additional treatment before or after surgery, including chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
In a heartfelt post, Coffey, who was married to Criscilla from 2009 to 2022, paid tribute to the mother of three of his children.
He wrote that she “defined strength and fighter like no other person on the planet.”
The cancer had metastasized to Criscilla’s brain, a close friend announced last month
“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,” he added.
Lindsey said that she was by Criscilla’s side until the very end, which was “the greatest honor of my life.”
“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,” she wrote.
DCC cheerleader Reece Weaver remembered her for her generosity and for being “the most beautiful and strongest woman I know.”
People mourned the dancer’s loss and offered their condolences to her family
