Raven Symone revealed that her brother Blaize Pearman died after a battle with colon cancer in a short video on Instagram on Monday, December 11. The video came a day after Raven’s 38th birthday, and she admitted that her special day this year felt “bittersweet,” due to the loss of her brother. “I want to thank everybody for the amazing birthday wishes yesterday. Truly, I love you guys,” she began the clip.
After thanking fans, she explained that she’s gone through many ups and downs as she grieves her brother’s passing. “It was a little bittersweet for me to be honest, because last month, I lost my brother Blaize. He was battling colon cancer for about two years, and he is in a better place now. He is loved and missed and the emotions that have been waving in and out of my body and mind and family have been a rollercoaster,” she said.
Towards the end of the clip, she showed love to her late sibling and teased that she’d be announcing something new on what would’ve been his birthday. “I love you Blaize. His birthday is December 16th and forever will be. I love you guys. My family on Instagram, my family at home, and my family and friends, you guys have been such an amazing support system, and I love you all. Have a wonderful holiday season,” she said.
In the caption, she had one more show of thanks for her fans and reiterated how hard its been to celebrate. “Thank you [for] all the love yesterday. It was felt beyond. Hard to fully celebrate knowing that I’m here and he is not,” she wrote.
In the comments, many people left kind messages for Raven. The actress’s wife Miranda Maday simply wrote, “Love you.” Others also shared their condolences. “There are no words that can ease this kind of pain, but I hope you can find moments of peace and comfort in the weeks and months ahead. You and your family are in my prayers,” one person wrote.