Vanessa Williams is honoring her mother, Helen, after she died at the age of 85.
“On December 28th, the world lost a powerhouse, dynamo and force of nature packed into a 5ft frame,” the actress, 61, wrote via Instagram on Thursday, January 2. “Our mom, Helen Williams, aka Gaga to many, took her final bow in London 20 days after celebrating her 85th birthday surrounded by family and friends.”
She added, “It’s impossible to describe all she meant to everyone because each person saw a different facet of her. Loyal friend to many, icy stares to a chosen few. We will miss it all.”
Williams further revealed that her mom’s cause of death was “due to complications of acute liver failure.”
Vanessa Williams Is Miranda Priestly in ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ Musical
Helen saw her daughter’s performance in The Devil Wears Prada musical shortly before her death. Williams stars as Miranda Priestly in the London stage adaptation, a role made famous by Meryl Streep in the 2006 film.
“She had recently traveled to London for opening night of Devil Wears Prada The Musical in the West End and to celebrate her 85th birthday party surrounded by 150 of her family and friends,” Williams added in her statement. “During her visit, she suffered a major decline in health, which ended her life.”
Helen is survived by the Ugly Betty alum, as well as son Christopher, 57, and multiple grandchildren. She is predeceased by her husband, Milton, who died in 2006 after a battle with pancreatitis.
It was later announced that Williams will no longer perform at a selection of Devil Wears Prada shows later this month.
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“Due to a sudden loss in her family, Vanessa Williams will not be appearing from Wednesday 8th to Wednesday 15th January,” a statement on the show’s official social media page read. “During this time, the role of Miranda Priestly will be played by Debbie Kurup. Vanessa will return to The Devil Wears Prada from Thursday 16th January.”
Williams reshared the casting news via her Instagram Story on Friday, January 3.
Williams was particularly close to her mother, with the pair coauthoring the 2012 memoir You Have No Idea: A Famous Daughter, Her No-Nonsense Mother, and How They Survived Pageants, Hollywood, Love, Loss (and Each Other).
“I had two parents and a family that always supported me. Support is very important and when they saw that I had the desire to pursue a career in the arts, I received the proper training,” Williams told Forbes at the time. “I danced my entire life. I was a musician. I acted and went to musical theater. The preparation is what gave me the skills that gave me longevity in this career. Follow your dreams, but it’s also nice to have a family that supports your dreams instead of saying, ‘Get a real job.’”
Helen joined Williams for the interview, gushing that one of her favorite memories was attending her daughter’s Broadway debut in 1994 “because that was something that she had always wanted to do all of her life.”
