LisaRaye McCoy has announced the death of her mother, Katie McCoy, who passed away on Friday (Feb. 10). No cause of death has been revealed. The actress and television host shared the news of her mother’s transition in a post on her Instagram account on Saturday (Feb. 11). McCoy shared a photo of the late matriarch with words of tribute. Her mother was 77 years old.
“I’m numb. I lost my mother last night,” the 55-year-old penned in the caption of her post soundtracked by singer Celine Dion’s 1998 release “Because You Loved Me.” She added, “It was expected but never could I prepare. Being strong is what you taught me but I can’t say it applies today. I will make your transition a celebration of memories that I’ll cherish. I’ll miss you. #Notsuffering #Motherslove #parent #motheranddaughter #love #missyousomuch #Leo”
McCoy recently spoke of her mother’s deteriorating health during an appearance on The Breakfast Club. There, she touched on the difficulties that have come from her family being her primary caretakers while balancing their own personal lives.
“It’s been four or five years and I just don’t feel as grown as I am,” she said about housing her mother, daughter, and other relatives in her home. “My mom is sick, so I’ve been taking care of her for the last couple of years so I’m really honored to be able to spend that time with her, but it’s heavy and it’s stressful. It’s emotional.”
The Chicago native also shared how the toll of witnessing her mother fall into poor health has affected her and how the nature of their relationship has changed as a result.
“It’s no secret that we did Iyanla: Fix My Life a couple years ago, but the tables have turned,” she said. “She’s not the strong, vibrant woman she was when she was raising me, so now I’m seeing my mom deteriorate in front of my face and it’s hard for me to even watch that. It’s hurtful, it’s emotional, it’s stressful. I feel suffocated, drained, definitely. And then just sorrow and guilt, all wrapped up in one and that’s too many emotions to go through everyday, all the time.”
In 2020, LisaRaye, her mother, and her daughter, Kai, appeared on an episode of Iyanla: Fix My Life titled “3 Generations, 1 Family Breakdown.” The sit-down saw the three addressing their issues with one another, with McCoy and her mother ending the show on better terms.
VIBE sends our condolences to LisaRaye and the McCoy family.