Early this morning (July 24), Jazmine Sullivan took to social media to let her fans know that her mother, Pam Sullivan, has passed away. “I don’t have the words yet mommy,” she captioned a childhood photo of her mom on Instagram. “So for now, I’ll say thank you, thank you, thank you. Rest now, butterfly. [Butterfly emoji] 10/26/58- 07/22/23 [Broken-heart emoji].”
Pam was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2019. During an appearance on the “PEOPLE Every Day” podcast last year, the Grammy Award-winning singer shared how her mother’s cancer battle changed their relationship for the better. “We’ve definitely gotten closer,” Jazmine began. “Obviously, you appreciate people more if you even think that you could lose them, but I’ve been able to reciprocate the love and support that she’s given me all my life back to her. And I’m so fulfilled doing that.”
The “Girl Like Me” hitmaker continued, “[There’s] a difference than before the diagnosis, where maybe I might be a little irritated to hear mom’s advice, but now I want to hear it. I want to be with her as much as possible. I’m setting up a room in my house for her to come and stay over, making sure she’s comfortable.”
Jazmine also added that Pam’s disease is what inspired her to make her own health a priority, including setting up appointments for a mammogram. “It’s scary to have gone through this with your parent and to know that you’re more at risk, but what I have learned is that information is key and knowing earlier can do so much more good than harm,” she admitted to the host.
According to National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc., in 2023, an estimated 297,790 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the U.S., as well as 55,720 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer. We send our deepest condolences to Jazmine and her loved ones during this difficult time.