Heaven has gained a new angel.
Criscilla Anderson, a former hip-hop dancer who starred in Netflix’s 2020 reality show Country Ever After with her ex and country musician Coffey Anderson, made a posthumous announcement that she died after a battle with colon cancer. She was 45.
“If you’re reading this, I’ve finally slipped into the arms of Jesus—peacefully and surrounded by love,” Criscilla wrote on Instagram Dec. 2, posted by her friend Lindsey Villatoro. “Please don’t stay in the darkness of this moment. I fought hard and I loved deeply.”
She added, “I am not gone… I’m Home.”
Criscilla, who was formerly a choreographer for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, also addressed her and Coffey’s kids Ethan, 14, Emmarie, 12, and Everleigh, 9, as well as step-daughter Savannah, 17, from Coffey’s previous relationship, calling them “my whole heart.”
“Ethan, you made me a mom. I’m still beside you, cheering you on,” she continued. “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.”
Criscilla added, “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 mothering you. I’m still yours.”
Criscilla was first diagnosed with colon cancer in 2018, but was declared in remission in 2021 following treatment. The cancer returned in late 2022, after she told People that the chance of recurrence was “very, very high.”
Last month, her friend Lindsey revealed that Criscilla’s colon cancer had metastasized in her brain, which doctors discovered after a stroke. At the time, Lindsey said Criscilla was planning “to move forward with radiation, possibly chemo” and was “actively exploring trials that specialize in colon cancer research.”
Following her death, Coffey—who tied the knot with Criscilla in 2009, before filing for divorce in 2022—honored her with a moving tribute shared to social media.
“Criscilla defined strength and fighter like no other person on the planet,” he wrote on Instagram. “Heaven gained a star today.”
Coffey continued, “We miss you already. Our hearts are shattered. Our minds are jumbled. Our lives will never be the same. The house is quieter because you’re missing.”
Acknowledging how they co-parented their kids, the “Bud Light Blue” singer added, “The babies are resilient and strong as ever. We did good with them.”
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, who welcomed Criscilla back in 2024 as a judge for their tryouts, also shared their condolences.
“In loving memory of our dear friend, Criscilla Crossland,” the squad wrote on Instagram Dec. 3. “Her artistry, passion and strength inspired so many in the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders family. The spirit, talent, and heart she shared will never be forgotten.”
Like Criscilla, read on to see other stars who have announced their own deaths.
Criscilla Anderson
The former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders choreographer who starred in Netflix’s 2020 reality show Country Ever After with ex Coffey Anderson, announced her own death at 45 following a seven-year battle with colon cancer.
“If you’re reading this, I’ve finally slipped into the arms of Jesus—peacefully and surrounded by love,” she wrote on Instagram in December 2025, posted by her friend Lindsey Villatoro. “Please don’t stay in the darkness of this moment. I fought hard and I loved deeply.”
Criscilla also addressed her and Coffey’s kids Ethan, Emmarie and Everleigh, as well as step-daughter Savannah from Coffey’s previous relationship, calling them “my whole heart.”
“Ethan, you made me a mom. I’m still beside you, cheering you on,” she continued. “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.”
Criscilla added, “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 mothering you. I’m still yours.”
Tanner Martin
After a five-year battle with colon cancer, influencer Tanner Martin—who documented his terminal disease and life with wife Shay Martin and daughter AmyLou online—personally announced his own death.
“Hey, it’s me, Tanner,” Tanner said in a posthumous video shared to Instagram in June 2025. “If you’re watching this right now, I’m dead.”
Tanner, who was 30 at the time of his death, said he wanted to make a video announcing his death because he had seen another user do it and though it was “a good opportunity” to get his thoughts out and call attention to his wife and daughter, whom he affectionately referred to as “Jiaozi.”
“Everyone, I had a heck of a life,” he continued in his video. “You guys seriously thank you for all that you do for me for the time I was here and all the support and love you showed me and my little family. I would ask at this time if you could continue to offer prayers and stuff for my sweetheart Shay and my baby girl Jiaozi.”
The influencer expressed gratitude for his audience, noting that his final request was simply to remember his family in thoughts and prayers.
“Life was awesome,” Tanner concluded. “I really enjoyed it while I was here. Hopefully I believe there’s something after this and hopefully we’re hanging out now. There’s just a lot of people in the afterlife that I’m excited to see them not in pain and just happy.”
Bella Bradford
In October 2024, TikToker Bella Bradford shared that she had died after a battle with a rare form of cancer in her jaw muscle. She was 24.
“I have terminal cancer and unfortunately, by now, my life has come to an end, and I’ve passed away,” Bella said in her video. “But I wanted to do one final ‘Get Ready With Me’ because I love doing these, and I love fashion. Thank you for following me on this fun journey, and yeah, I hope you will be back on all my videos and find a little bit of joy in your day if you ever needed to feel.”
And despite the heartbreaking circumstances, Bella left followers with a hopeful note.
“Remember that you live every day and you only die once,” she explained, “so everything helps.”
Fiona MacDonald
The Australian TV host announced her own death in an Instagram post shared in October 2024 after a three-year battle with motor neuron disease—a neurodegenerative condition similar to ALS.
“Farewell my friends,” Fiona wrote in a post shared to her Instagram account, alongside photos of her and her sons Harry and Rafe. “My sister Kylie is posting this because I have left the building. Hopefully I’m looking down from a cloud.”
And the 67-year-old did not hide the debilitating effect her disease had on the end of her life.
“Last night brought an end to a very tough few months,” she admitted. “While I’ve never wanted to die, the thought of leaving my tortured body was a relief.”
She concluded, "So let’s not call it goodbye as I hope to see you again on the other side—I carry your love and laughter with me and hope you’ll remember mine.”
Kimberley Nix
Canadian influencer Kimberley Nix announced her death in May 2024 after documenting her battle with metastatic sarcoma online for three years.
“Hello followers,” Kimberley said in a TikTok video. “If you’re seeing this message, I have passed away peacefully.”
The 31-year-old influencer—who was a resident trained in internal medicine—explained that she had a “beautiful life” and shared a list of her favorite things, including her pets, her makeup collection and her husband Michael MacIsaac.
And Kimberley—who used her platform to educate followers on her condition after her 2021 diagnosis—also expressed gratitude for her online community.
“I love you all, thank you so much for this amazing opportunity,” she said. “I’m in happy tears because you’ve all made me find so much purpose in the end of my life.”
Daniella Thackray
Daniella Thackray, who detailed her battle with cholangiocarcinoma—a rare and aggressive form of cancer that grows in the bile ducts of one’s liver—wrote a personal note on Facebook to announce her own death in February 2024.
“If you’re reading this then it means I have died from my battle with cancer and my family are posting my final message on my behalf,” Danielle, who hailed from Leeds, United Kingdom, wrote at the time. “Although we can’t control what happens to us, we can control how we react. I chose not to mourn the life I was losing despite being so devastated, but to instead enjoy every moment I had left.”
The 24-year-old admitted that she hoped more research would be done surrounding her cancer—which has no obvious causes or cure at this time—but emphasized that she lived her short life to the fullest.
“As I have always said and believed you should enjoy the little things in life and cherish every moment!” Daniella wrote in her farewell. “Romanticise your life! Do whatever makes you happy and don’t let anyone take the joy of life away from you x.”
And her final word was to her fiancé Tom Calvert, to whom Daniella wrote, “I love you and always will. Go enjoy your life now, you deserve it.”
Paul Harrell
Paul Harrell, who had over 1 million YouTube subscribers for his reviews of firearms, shared a YouTube video in September 2024 titled “I’m Dead” following his death from pancreatic cancer.
“Hi everyone,” Paul said in the video, which he said he recorded in December 2023. “If you’re watching me, I’m dead.”
Paul noted in his video that while he thought he had caught his cancer early, it began to spread rapidly to his bones, and it became apparent to him that his time “is drawing very short.”
“To everyone who has watched, hit the like or dislike icon, commented, shared, subscribed and donated on Patreon,” Paul continued, “Thank you.”
As he put it, “I can’t even begin to articulate how beneficial and appreciated those things are.”
The 58-year-old also went on to apologize to his fanbase for his unexpected departure from the world.
“I had hoped that I would continue in this format for the next 10 or even 15 years,” he admitted, noting that his diagnosis took his life in just a few short months. “My apologies for that, it really feels like I’ve let everybody down.”