Ariana DeBose is mourning an enormous loss.

The West Side Story star shared that her mom Gina DeBose died Aug. 17 at age 57 due to complications from ovarian cancer, saying she “couldn’t be more proud of” her mother for her three-year battle with the disease.

“She was my favorite person, my biggest fan and toughest critic,” Ariana wrote in a post on Instagram Aug. 19. “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 34-year-old went on to commend her mom for raising her as a single parent, noting that “it had always been the two of us for as long as I can remember.”

“She fought like hell to give me a good life, a good education and every opportunity in the world,” she continued. “I wouldn’t be where I am without her.”

Ariana also highlighted her mom’s 30-year career as a public school teacher, describing her commitment to educating young people as “her life’s purpose.”

“She was beloved and incredibly respected by her colleagues and students alike,” the Oscar winner went on. “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 added, “My greatest and most proud achievement will always be to have made her proud.”

The actress previously referenced her close bond with her mom at the 2022 Oscars when she accepted her award for Best Supporting Actress in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of the Broadway musical West Side Story, where she became the first Afro Latina and first openly queer woman of color to win an Academy Award in an acting category.

“Mama, I love you with my whole heart,” she said at the time, “and this is as much yours as it is mine.”

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