Originally appeared on E! Online
If there’s one thing influencers know how to do, it’s create a story.
So when Criscilla Andersonâa hip-hop dancer who starred in Netflixâs 2020 reality show Country Ever After with her then-husband, country musician Coffey Andersonâfelt hers was coming to a close as she bravely battled colon cancer, she wanted to write the ending herself.
“If youâre reading this, Iâve finally slipped into the arms of Jesusâpeacefully and surrounded by love,” the 45-year-old wrote in the Dec. 2 Instagram post she entrusted pal Lindsey Villatoro to share, adding, “please donât stay in the darkness of this moment. I fought hard and I loved deeply.”
And now, she added, “I am not gone⊠Iâm Home.”
But while the former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders choreoprapher, who shares Ethan, 14, Emmarie, 12, and Everleigh, 9, with Coffey as well as his daughter Savannah, 17, from a previous relationship, was ready to take that last bow, her friends and family weren’t prepared for her to leave the field of play.
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“Criscilla defined strength and fighter like no other person on the planet,” Coffey wrote on Instagram of the dancer, who went into remission in 2021 only to see her cancer return in late 2022. “Heaven gained a star today.”
He continued of his former bride (they separated in 2022 after 13 years of marriage), “We miss you already. Our hearts are shattered. Our minds are jumbled. Our lives will never be the same. The house is quieter because youâre missing.”
The news was “just devastating,” Oscar winner Viola Davis agreed, commenting on Criscilla’s post. “I never stopped praying and will continue to pray for her family, her children and for her name to continue to be spoken.”
Criscilla also hoped to keep her story going, tasking her longtime pal with sharing her final missive.
“I promised Criscilla I would walk this journey with her whenever she couldnât stand on her own two feet,” Lindsey explained, “and I pray she knows how fiercely she was loved. Being by her side until the very end was the greatest honor of my life.”
The mom of four joined a growing list of stars who made the choice to control their own narrative to the end. See the other public figures who have announced their own deaths.
Criscilla Anderson
The former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders choreographer who starred in Netflixâs 2020 reality show Country Ever After with ex Coffey Anderson, announced her own death at 45 following a seven-year battle with colon cancer.
âIf youâre reading this, Iâve finally slipped into the arms of Jesusâpeacefully and surrounded by love,â she wrote on Instagram in December 2025, posted by her friend Lindsey Villatoro. âPlease donât stay in the darkness of this moment. I fought hard and I loved deeply.â
Criscilla also addressed her and Coffeyâs kids Ethan, Emmarie and Everleigh, as well as step-daughter Savannah from Coffeyâs previous relationship, calling them âmy whole heart.â
âEthan, you made me a mom. Iâm still beside you, cheering you on,â she continued. âSavannah, my bonus girlâyou were a gift God knew I needed. Emmarie, my Jesus-loving dancerâkeep dancing through every season. Everleigh, my bright sparkâchase your dreams boldly and without fear.â
Criscilla added, âMy babies⊠I am watching over you. When a moment feels warm, familiar, or too beautiful to be coincidenceâthatâs me. Iâm still mothering you. Iâm still yours.â
Tanner Martin
After a five-year battle with colon cancer, influencer Tanner Martinâwho documented his terminal disease and life with wife Shay Martin and daughter AmyLou onlineâpersonally announced his own death.
âHey, itâs me, Tanner,â Tanner said in a posthumous video shared to Instagram in June 2025 . âIf youâre watching this right now, Iâm dead.â
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 âa good opportunityâ to get his thoughts out and call attention to his wife and daughter, whom he affectionately referred to as âJiaozi.â
âEveryone, I had a heck of a life,â he continued in his video. âYou 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.â
The influencer expressed gratitude for his audience, noting that his final request was simply to remember his family in thoughts and prayers.
âLife was awesome,â Tanner concluded. âI really enjoyed it while I was here. Hopefully I believe thereâs something after this and hopefully weâre hanging out now. Thereâs just a lot of people in the afterlife that Iâm excited to see them not in pain and just happy.â
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.
âI have terminal cancer and unfortunately, by now, my life has come to an end, and Iâve passed away,â Bella said in her video. âBut I wanted to do one final âGet Ready With Meâ 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.â
And despite the heartbreaking circumstances, Bella left followers with a hopeful note.
âRemember that you live every day and you only die once,â she explained, âso everything helps.â
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 diseaseâa neurodegenerative condition similar to ALS.
âFarewell my friends,â Fiona wrote in a post shared to her Instagram account, alongside photos of her and her sons Harry and Rafe. âMy sister Kylie is posting this because I have left the building. Hopefully Iâm looking down from a cloud.â
And the 67-year-old did not hide the debilitating effect her disease had on the end of her life.
âLast night brought an end to a very tough few months,â she admitted. âWhile Iâve never wanted to die, the thought of leaving my tortured body was a relief.â
She concluded, “So letâs not call it goodbye as I hope to see you again on the other sideâI carry your love and laughter with me and hope youâll remember mine.â
Kimberley Nix
Canadian influencer Kimberley Nix announced her death in May 2024 after documenting her battle with metastatic sarcoma online for three years.
âHello followers,â Kimberley said in a TikTok video . âIf youâre seeing this message, I have passed away peacefully.â
The 31-year-old influencerâwho was a resident trained in internal medicineâexplained that she had a âbeautiful lifeâ and shared a list of her favorite things, including her pets, her makeup collection and her husband Michael MacIsaac.
And Kimberleyâwho used her platform to educate followers on her condition after her 2021 diagnosisâalso expressed gratitude for her online community.
âI love you all, thank you so much for this amazing opportunity,â she said. âIâm in happy tears because youâve all made me find so much purpose in the end of my life.â
Daniella Thackray
Daniella Thackray, who detailed her battle with cholangiocarcinomaâa rare and aggressive form of cancer that grows in the bile ducts of oneâs liverâwrote a personal note on Facebook to announce her own death in February 2024.
âIf youâre reading this then it means I have died from my battle with cancer and my family are posting my final message on my behalf,â Danielle, who hailed from Leeds, United Kingdom, wrote at the time. âAlthough we canât 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.â
The 24-year-old admitted that she hoped more research would be done surrounding her cancerâwhich has no obvious causes or cure at this timeâbut emphasized that she lived her short life to the fullest.
âAs I have always said and believed you should enjoy the little things in life and cherish every moment!â Daniella wrote in her farewell. âRomanticise your life! Do whatever makes you happy and donât let anyone take the joy of life away from you x.â
And her final word was to her fiancĂ© Tom Calvert, to whom Daniella wrote, âI love you and always will. Go enjoy your life now, you deserve it.â
Paul Harrell
Paul Harrell, who had over 1 million YouTube subscribers for his reviews of firearms, shared a YouTube video in September 2024 titled âIâm Deadâ following his death from pancreatic cancer.
âHi everyone,â Paul said in the video, which he said he recorded in December 2023. âIf youâre watching me, Iâm dead.â
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 âis drawing very short.â
âTo everyone who has watched, hit the like or dislike icon, commented, shared, subscribed and donated on Patreon,â Paul continued, âThank you.â
As he put it, âI canât even begin to articulate how beneficial and appreciated those things are.â
The 58-year-old also went on to apologize to his fanbase for his unexpected departure from the world.
âI had hoped that I would continue in this format for the next 10 or even 15 years,â he admitted, noting that his diagnosis took his life in just a few short months. âMy apologies for that, it really feels like Iâve let everybody down.â
