Netflix star and country singer Criscilla Anderson has died at 45 following a prolonged battle with colon cancer — a loss she announced herself in a poignant social media message.
Anderson, known for appearing on the 2020 Netflix reality series “Country Ever After,” shared her farewell in a posthumous Instagram update published by her friend Lindsey Villatoro.
“If you’re reading this, I’ve finally slipped into the arms of Jesus — peacefully and surrounded by love,” she wrote. “Please don’t stay in the darkness of this moment. I fought hard and I loved deeply.”
She ended with a comforting reminder: “I am not gone … I’m Home.”
“Please don’t stay in the darkness of this moment. I fought hard and I loved deeply,” Anderson wrote. “I am not gone … I’m Home.”
In the heartbreaking announcement, Anderson — who was also a former choreographer for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders — directly addressed the three children she shared with her ex-husband, fellow country musician Coffey Anderson.
She also mentioned her 17-year-old stepdaughter, Savannah, whom she affectionately called her “bonus girl.”
“Ethan, you made me a mum. I’m still beside you, cheering you on,” Anderson wrote. “Savannah, my bonus girl — you were a gift God knew I needed. Emmarie, my Jesus-loving dancer — keep dancing through every season. Everleigh, my bright spark — chase your dreams boldly and without fear.”
“Savannah, my bonus girl — you were a gift God knew I needed. Emmarie, my Jesus-loving dancer — keep dancing through every season. Everleigh, my bright spark — chase your dreams boldly and without fear,” the proud mom continued.
“My babies … I am watching over you,” she added. “When a moment feels warm, familiar, or too beautiful to be coincidence — that’s me. I’m still mothering you. I’m still yours.”
Anderson was first diagnosed with colon cancer in 2018. After undergoing treatment, she went into remission in 2021, only for the cancer to return in late 2022.
“The thing with cancer is that the chances of it returning are very, very high,” she told People magazine shortly before her cancer returned. “That’s why it’s always been important for me to not only celebrate all the victories, but prepare my mind for a bad scan, which takes us right back to the drawing board. It’s almost like I have to treat the cancer like a chronic disease.”
“My babies … I am watching over you,” Anderson said. “When a moment feels warm, familiar, or too beautiful to be coincidence — that’s me. I’m still mothering you. I’m still yours.”
“Do I want this diagnosis? Of course not,” she added. “Who would want this? There are times when I get mad and angry and sad, and then I get hopeful again. The fight is still on, but I have a lot of fight in me.”
Last month, her friend Lindsey — who shared Anderson’s death announcement — revealed that the singer’s colon cancer had metastasized to her brain following a stroke.
Despite the devastating news, Lindsey said Anderson remained hopeful, planning “to move forward with radiation, possibly chemo,” and was “actively exploring trials that specialize in colon cancer research.”
Last month, Anderson’s friend Lindsey said the singer remained hopeful, planning “to move forward with radiation, possibly chemo,” and was “actively exploring trials that specialize in colon cancer research.”
“Do I want this diagnosis? Of course not. Who would want this? There are times when I get mad and angry and sad, and then I get hopeful again. The fight is still on, but I have a lot of fight in me,” Anderson told People magazine shortly before her cancer returned.
After her death was announced, her ex-husband Coffey — the couple were married from 2009 to 2022 — paid tribute to her on Instagram.
“Criscilla defined strength and was a fighter like no other person on the planet,” he wrote. “Heaven gained a star today. We miss you already. Our hearts are shattered. Our minds are jumbled. Our lives will never be the same. The house is quieter because you’re missing.”
The couple appeared together on Netflix’s 2020 reality show Country Ever After, which followed their lives as they balanced family life with career ambitions. The series also documented Anderson’s battle with stage 3 colon cancer and how their Christian faith helped them navigate the challenges.
