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Jennifer Grey‘s mother’s death is a celebration of a life well-lived with choices till the very end!

The actress announced her mom’s death with a tribute that reflects the bravery she showed throughout her lifetime up until her passing. Jo Wilder walked the face of the earth for almost a century and answered the call of nature shortly after receiving a fragile health diagnosis.

Jo Wilder was married to renowned actor and singer Joel Grey from 1958 till 1982, during which they welcomed two kids, Jennifer Grey and her brother James. Thanks to her parents, a life in the entertainment industry was not far-fetched, as she went on to make a name for herself early on.

Jennifer Grey Praises Her Mom’s Bravery And Graceful Death

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Grey announced that her mother passed away on July 4 in a poignant Instagram post, but rather than dwell on the pain of her death, she praised her courageous life. “My mother, Jo Wilder, passed away on July 4 at 94 — by her own choosing, on her own terms, exactly as she lived,” her lengthy caption began.

The actress then revealed that Wilder had received a lung cancer diagnosis a week earlier and, seemingly due to her age, decided that was her sign to leave the world. Grey views her mom’s decision to die on her own terms as one that stemmed from understanding that a dignified death is “an honor, not a tragedy.”

The “Dirty Dancing” star went on to praise her late mom for the sacrifices she made for their family during her younger days. She recalled how Wilder gave up her ambitions and dreams to focus on being a mother to James and herself.

Grey reminded the world via her post that Wilder was a gorgeous and talented promising young actress who never lived up to her full potential in the industry for the sake of her kids.

“True to who she was, she chose grace over fear,” Grey penned, signing off with “I love you, Mom” and an expression of gratitude to Wilder for showing her how to do everything in life and death gracefully.

Condolences Flood The Actress’ Inspiring Post

Grey’s Instagram post was a photo dump of throwback black-and-white pictures of her mother as a young woman. The slides also included two pictures with Wilder and her kids as a baby and toddler. 

Fans, friends, and followers took to the comments with condolence messages and more praise for Wilder’s decision about her death. Many netizens praised Grey for the beautiful tribute she wrote in her mom’s honor in her caption, while others encouraged her to stay strong despite the loss. 

“What a beautiful tribute to your mom. [red heart emoji],” a fan wrote. “May your mother rest in peace, and God bless and comfort you and your family,” another added.

Losing a mother, irrespective of age, creates a void no one can fill, some fans remarked amid sharing their personal experience with loss. Other friends recalled meeting Wilder at different points in her lifetime, amid sending thoughts and prayers to Grey and her family. 

“Visited Jo Wilder as a little girl with my parents in Brooklyn. She had a huge doll house in the front hallway. As a little girl, it was beautiful and enormous!” a commenter penned.

Inside Jennifer Grey’s Mom’s Early Life With Her Husband Joel Grey

Wilder, who was born in Brooklyn, kicked off in the industry studying under Sanford Meisner at Neighborhood Playhouse along with actors Steve McQueen and Peter Falk.

She went on to perform on Broadway in “The Merchant of Venice” as Nerissa and Polly in “Threepenny Opera.” It was during her time on Broadway that she met Joel, who was also a Broadway performer but had not made his big hit yet.

The lovebirds said their vows in 1958, and Wilder said goodbye to her Broadway dreams for the sake of building a family. They had their daughter in 1960 and son, James, two years later.

Twenty-four years after their nuptials, Joel and Wilder pulled the plug on their marriage after the actor came to terms with his sexuality as a gay man. 

Hollywood Life shared that Joel came out publicly at the age of 82 but claims that he did not keep his sexuality a secret from his family. Looking back, the actor revealed that the happiest years of his life were during his marriage, telling media outlets that he was “totally in love with her.”

The ‘Dirty Dancing’ Actress Had Wild Teenage Years

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Grey grew up having access to a life many teenagers and young adults without entertainer parents could only dream of. She opened up about the “double life” she lived as a teenager, which involved hanging out in nightclubs and partying with iconic celebrities who were older than her.

She revealed that the lifestyle she had exposed her to drugs, drinking, and other vices early on. “Yes, there were lots of drugs and drinking all the time. I had a boyfriend; we were out at clubs at night. I would change at his house and go to school. I was living a double life,” Grey previously disclosed.

As reported by Best Life, Grey found her normal high school life boring because she would spend her nights hanging around celebrities. She was a regular at Studio 54 and became part of Andy Warhol’s group of friends.

The downside of living this double life, according to the movie star, was the pressure to be perfect. “Everyone around me was very successful. That was a lot of pressure,” she shared.

Jennifer Grey Went Through An Amicable Divorce 

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Grey said “I do” to her now-ex-husband, Clark Gregg, in 2001, and after remaining together for almost two decades and welcoming a daughter, Stella, they called it quits. She posted a message announcing their breakup in 2020, which partially read:

“After 19 years together, we separated in January, knowing we’d always be a family who loves, values, and cares for each other. We recently made the difficult decision to divorce, but we remain close and are deeply grateful for the life we’ve shared and the wonderful daughter we’ve raised.”

As shared by The Blast, the pair came to a decision about supporting their daughter until her 24th birthday by putting in equal amounts to cover her expenses. Most of their property was divided, but Grey walked away with 100% of her earnings from “Dirty Dancing” and “Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights.”

Gregg, on the other hand, got to keep all of his personal property in his possession, his Tesla, and 100% interest in the business, Merton Shanks Investigations Inc. The former lovers reportedly had cord blood stored and agreed to cover the cost of maintaining the cord blood equally indefinitely.

Jennifer Grey’s mom will definitely live on in her memories!

The Jennifer Grey Says Her Mom ‘Chose Grace Over Fear’ On 4th Of July first appeared on The Blast