Rihanna is taking a moment to grieve a fan who recently passed away after battling cancer.

As revealed by the singer on Thursday (Dec. 27) in a heartfelt but heartbreaking post on Instagram, her fan Monia, whom she developed a close friendship with, unfortunately died over the Christmas holiday.

In a touching tribute, the 30-year-old reflected on the loss, calling on her Navy fanbase to join her in celebrating the life and legacy of the fan, who was battling her third bout of cancer.

“Navy Angels! This Christmas, we lost a beautiful spirit who was such a pillar of strength to us!” Rihanna captioned her post, sharing a selfie of the duo. “Most of our friendship she’s spent in a hospital or doctor’s office! This picture was just a few months ago, she looked at me and said, ‘Rih the cancer is back’ I’ll never forget the fear in her eyes this day!”

Rihanna then continued, remembering how resilient her fan was throughout every challenge she faced.

“Still she pushed forward, fighting the fight every day with the Navy behind her supporting her every step of the way!” Rihanna concluded. “We are all heartbroken about this!!! You will never be forgotten! Love you my angel @moniasto fly in peace.”

The pair first met in June in London after corresponding with one another online. At the time of their first in-person meeting, Monia explained that it “it literally broke my heart” to tell Rihanna that the cancer had returned but added that the beauty entrepreneur was “so caring and supportive.”

“Now y’all know why she’s my fave!” Monia wrote, posting about her experience meeting Rihanna on Instagram. “I will never ever forget this special night. Flying to London was totally worth it, I had the best time here!!!”

Rihanna previously shared her support publicly via Monia’s Instagram, writing words of encouragement on some of her posts and keeping in touch after meeting in person over the summer.

“Sis we are all praying for you!” Rihanna commented, writing on what would become Monia’s final Instagram photo. “Your strength and your ability to let the beauty in your spirit shine through, even in the midst of adversity, is tremendously inspiring!! Thank you for continuing to share your journey with us! I imagine it’s quite a lonely one, hours on end in hospital walls, being scared to even fall asleep because you’re afraid u won’t wake up, feeling like nobody will ever understand that, the physical agony, the medication and all their side effects…I can’t begin to imagine what you feel, so I want you to know we are all here for you and I encourage the NAVY to rally around you during these times! Love you!”

See Rihanna mourning the loss of her fan in the posts below. Our thoughts and condolences go out to Monia’s family and loved ones.