Billy Porter Announces Death of His Mother Cloerinda: ‘We are Heartbroken’

Billy Porter’s mother has passed away. 

In an Instagram post on Thursday that included a series of photos, the Broadway Star said he was “right beside her when she took her last breath, wrapped in our arms.”

“Mommy lived life to the fullest despite physical limitations pressed upon her. She was the personification of true Christianity and her unconditional love is a template that the world could benefit from employing. Her example is what we continue to strive for,” wrote Porter.

Porter added that his family is “heartbroken she is no longer here with us, but find solace that her suffering has ended.”

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“Her fight was long and hard—she did it with grace and integrity. Mommy will remain forever in our hearts as she continues to guide us from above, as she has done on this Earth. From Labor to Reward …,” Porter shared.

In 2017, Porter revealed that his mother was “born with a degenerative disability that has only progressed and worsened.”

“That woman has got out of bed every single day of her life and has fought for her life when everybody on the planet said that he shouldn’t even bother. I don’t know how to be anything else when you have an example like that. You can’t be anything else.”

In December of last year, Porter spoke about his mother’s unconditional love’s significance on him while on Today with Honda and Jenna.

“I think it’s what we talk about all the time. When we have support from our family, it’s much easier to navigate life. Very often, queer people are kicked out of their spaces, and we have figured out how to create our chosen families, and that’s okay too. Family comes in many different forms.”