Heavy DWTS alum Belinda Carlisle's mother died.
A former contestant from “Dancing with the Stars” is mourning the death of her mother. Belinda Carlisle took to her Instagram page on January 1 to share the devastating news.
Here’s what you need to know:
Belinda Carlisle Recently Bid Farewell to Her Mother
Carlisle posted an old photo of her mother and opened up about her loss. “My beautiful mother left her body last night,” the “Dancing with the Stars” alum explained.
“I’m at a loss for words to describe how I feel,” added the former Go-Go’s singer.
The singer also explained that her mother’s death was not entirely unexpected. “I flew to Phoenix last weekend to say goodbye and held her in my arms and sang all of the songs she sang to me as a very young girl,” Carlisle shared.
According to All Music, Carlisle’s mother became a parent as a teenager. She was a homemaker throughout Carlisle’s childhood, and the singer’s father worked at a gas station in the early days of the family’s formation.
The “Dancing with the Stars” alum was named after her mother’s favorite movie, the 1948 film “Johnny Belinda.” Carlisle’s mother’s name was Joanne, TV Guide noted.
The DWTS Alum Shared a Fun Throwback Honoring Her Mom
The “Dancing with the Stars” veteran also wrote that her final visit with her mother was “heartbreaking but also one of the most beautiful and profound moments in my life.”
Carlisle closed the caption of her post with, “May she rest in peace now. I love you mom and will always hold you in my heart.”
A couple of days later, on January 3, Carlisle posted on Instagram again. She thanked her fans for “such kind words with regards to my mother – so touching.”
She also explained the story behind the photo she included in her post. Carlisle was standing at a microphone, singing, and the picture was clearly from quite a few years ago. She wore a glittery pink gown with puffy sleeves.
“I found this pic – she made a lot of my stage clothes in the late 70s early 80s, including this dazzling number……. Thank you mom,” Carlisle wrote.
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In 2010, Carlisle published a memoir titled “Lips Unsealed.” She wrote extensively about her difficult childhood and incorporated a lot of stories about her mother.
She described her mother as someone “whose head-turning beauty and dramatic flair had inspired her as a younger woman to pursue movie stardom.” However, Carlisle acknowledged, “those dreams didn’t pan out.”
Instead, the “Dancing with the Stars” alum’s mother fell in love with a man 20 years older than her and got married as soon as she graduated high school. Carlisle was born “less than nine months after she accepted her diploma.”
In later years, Carlisle explained in her book, she disliked being at home. That was, in part, due to the “nonstop burdens of helping my mother.” She wrote, “Something happened to her…that was never explained. She grew weak and almost feeble.”
Carlisle also noted she overheard that her mother was taking lithium. “Then there was talk about the possibility of putting her in a psychiatric hospital for an undermined length of time,” she wrote.
Those early years had a significant impact on Carlisle as she transitioned to adulthood. Ultimately, though, her love for her mother remained.
Carlisle, who competed with Jonathan Roberts on season 8 of “Dancing with the Stars” during the spring of 2009, received a lot of love and support from her followers. Her post about her mother’s death was “liked” by several other “Dancing with the Stars” veterans, such as Mira Sorvino, Tatum O’Neal, and Melissa Gilbert, along with thousands of fans.