Justin Timberlake’s longtime background vocalist Nicole Hurst has died. She was 39.
via: Page Six
The “Man of the Woods” crooner paid tribute to Hurst on Instagram, sharing a variety of photos and videos of time spent with his “sister.”
“My heart is so heavy. We lost a beautiful soul this week. Nicole lit up every room she walked into,” Timberlake wrote. “On and off the stage she was a constant source of joy and positivity.”
While it’s unknown how Hurst passed away, she told ABC 13 Houston in 2015 that she “was diagnosed with Stage 2 triple-positive breast cancer.” In 2019, she shared on Instagram that the cancer had spread to her brain.
“Some things feel so unfair and we will never understand why they happen. What I do know is that we were blessed to laugh with her, to travel with her, and to experience her infectious smile and love for a life filled with music,” Timberlake, 40, continued.
“Nicole, it’s not enough to say that I am going to miss you dearly. Thank you for your light. I will do my best to carry that with me. I love you, my sister. Forever family and forever a TN Kid. ?”
Hurst’s last Instagram post is from February 7 when she threw it back to her performance with Timberlake at the 2018 Super Bowl.
“In honor of Super Bowl LV today, here’s a throwback to 2018 when I had the honor to perform in the Super Bowl LII halftime show with my fam, JT and the TNKids!! ?” she captioned the photo.
Hurst had been battling cancer since July 2013.
“I had four months of chemo followed by my surgery which I had a mastectomy. Even while I was on chemotherapy my tumor doubled in size,” she told ABC 13 Houston, noting that her cancer escalated to stage 3 before going into remission in 2015.
Sending our condolences to Nicole’s family and friends. RIP Queen.
