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Image Credit: Stefanie Keenan/VF23/WireImage for Vanity Fair
Kaitlyn Dever shared the tragic news that her mother Kathy Dever died from breast cancer on February 21. The 27-year-old actress posted a heartbreaking tribute to her mom with recent and throwback photos of the pair. Kaitlyn also wrote out an emotional message where she called Kathy her “life” and her “everything.”
“I don’t even have the words,” the Booksmart star began her caption. “Nothing I’ll ever say will amount to the gifts you have given me in my life, the boundless joy you brought, the deep, endless, unconditional love you gave me and our family. Your love was everywhere. It was in the morning having coffee with you and shopping on the real real, it was sitting out by the pool eating watermelon(with salt on it of course) and listening to Willie Nelson, it was laying in your bed with you watching Seinfeld and listening to your infectious laugh as you recited every line from memory. It was making fun of each other. It was getting to tell you about my day, it was getting the best advice from you anyone would be so lucky to receive, it was going places with you because no matter where we were..we were having fun and laughing.”
Kaitlyn continued, “Your love was like sunshine, warmed me when I needed it the most and made me smile when I was ever sad. You were everyone’s favorite. You are my favorite. The sweetest in the world. I will be broken forever without you and I don’t know how I’ll go on. I’m grateful that you gave me Mady, Jane, and Dad…we’ll always have each other to lean on because of you. You were the greatest mom and wife anyone could ever ever ask for. Thank you for fighting so hard for us for so long. I am forever, forever, grateful for the special time we got to spend with you, sweet mama…it will never be enough.”
“I miss your smile, your sense of humor, your hugs, your kisses, getting to hold your hand, more than anything in the world,” the Emmy nominee went on to say in her heart wrenching post. “You made everything better. My sweetest, beautiful girl. My best friend. Oh how much I love you. What a gift it is to love you. I love you forever and ever, Mom. ❤️.”
Kaitlyn got so much support from other celebrities in the comments section of her tribute to her mom. Riley Keough, Brie Larson, Olivia Wilde, Dan Levy, Rosario Dawson, Ben Platt, Kathryn Newton, Mindy Kaling, Beanie Feldstein, Maude Apatow, and Julianne Moore all offered Kaitlyn their condolences on the loss of her mom with sweet messages.
Kaitlyn revealed in 2020 that her mom was battling stage 4 metastatic breast cancer for ten years. She opened up about her mom’s health battle in an Instagram post during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“She was diagnosed at 39 years old and everyday since has been a terrifying battle,” Kaitlyn said at the time. “Some days are so so scary that I don’t even know how to feel anymore, and other days she has a positive appointment and then it’s a gooood day. Every day is different and we’ve gotten through it together as a family.”
Over a month before her mother’s death, it was announced that Kaitlyn will star in season 2 of the hit HBO series The Last Of Us. She was cast as Abby, a character from the popular video game that the TV series is based on. Kaitlyn is also known for her roles in Unbelievable, Dopesick, Dear Evan Hansen, and Ticket to Paradise.
