The “Dancing With the Stars” family is mourning the loss of a dancer and friend.
Professional dancer Olivia Summer Hutcherson has died following a battle with breast cancer. According to her website, she was first diagnosed on her 26th birthday in 2015. She has shared various updates on social media and her personal website.
“My Doctor sat there in front of my Mother and me and told us once again, I am ‘treatable but not curable,'” she wrote on Instagram on September 5, 2023.
“On the outside there was an 120lb bald girl who was stunned, exhausted and and full of injections. I had been to every floor and was about to spend the next 8.5 hours in the infusion center but on the inside I could could hear the sound of my ancestors and the roar of a lion say only 1 man decides my fate and His name is JESUS!!!” she added.
Hutcherson died in November 2023. The news was confirmed by Broadway Dance Center on Instagram.
Here’s what you need to know:
Some DWTS Cast Members Past & Present Reacted to the Tragic News
Following the news of Hutcherson’s death, some “Dancing With the Stars” cast members shared posts about her.
“RIP dear Olivia. A gentle soul and a strong fighter. You’ve battled 8 long years. A dancer, a poet, a creative soul that shined nothing but pure light into this world. You’ve always praised God and I know you’re taken care of right now, resting in God’s arms,” pro Pasha Pashkov wrote on his Instagram Stories.
“Broken hearted. I love you Liv Taken way too soon. Always a fighter and forever in our hearts,” said DWTS pro Daniella Karagach.
Prior to Hutcherson’s death, former DWTS pro Karina Smirnoff left a comment.
“You are my inspiration! So proud of you for your strength, abundance of love, compassion and faith! Be strong baby,” former DWTS pro Karina Smirnoff commented on one of Hutcherson’s recent Instagram posts.
Olivia Hutcherson Beat Cancer 3 Times
After she was first diagnosed with breast cancer, Hutcherson underwent surgery, chemotherapy and radiation to treat the disease. A few months later, she went into remission and stayed that way for four years, according to the description on a GoFundMe that was set up in an effort to help with her medical bills.
However, in 2019, her cancer returned — and it had metastasized to her bones. A year later, additional cancer cells were found in her body.
“What Olivia needs more than anything right now is the opportunity to continue with her life and that means new innovative treatments. Olivia is looking to travel out of the country and spend a month in the hospital to get the best care. This will cost around $50K. Please help however you can. No amount is too big or too small,” the GoFundMe reads.
Hutcherson was extremely talented. She studied dance at Dekalb School of the Arts and went on to perform alongside major stars like Madonna and Jennifer Lopez. Throughout her illness, Hutcherson did her best to continue doing what she loved. She danced, taught, wrote poetry, sang. and even graduated MSU with a major in communication and media and a minor in musical theater, according to her website.
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DWTS Family Mourns the Loss of One of Their Own