‘America’s Got Talent’ Winner Grace VanderWaal Suffers Crushing Family Loss

Grace VanderWaal is mourning the loss of her mother following a 17-month battle with cancer.

The 21-year-old America’s Got Talent winner announced the death of her mother, Tina VanderWaal, at age 53 on Instagram on Oct. 21, writing that she “can’t yet find the words” to express her feelings.

“I love you mommy. So much. I wake up and want to call you. I don’t know how to move forward without you,” she continued. “I love you.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Grace VanderWaal (@gracevanderwaal)

Included in the post were photos of the singer and her mom throughout the years, as well as a screenshot of a text message from Tina to her daughter reading, “Whatcha doin today? Miss you so much.”

VanderWaal’s father, Dave VanderWaal, also paid tribute to Tina in a Facebook post, revealing that his wife died on Oct. 20, more than a year after she had been diagnosed with cancer.

“She was a fighter to the end of her long, 17-month battle with cancer, always finding a positive outlook no matter what — for herself and, even more importantly, for others facing the same difficulty,” he wrote of his wife of 27 years, who was both a silversmith and a glass artist. “Tina truly was the heart of our family, filling our lives with creativity, laughter and love. Whether she was designing beautiful jewelry, teaching others to discover their creative spirit, or making every holiday and family moment special, she brought light and joy to everything she touched.”

Earlier this year, Tina wrote on a fundraising page that she had been diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in June 2024. She is survived by her husband, daughters Grace and Olivia, 25, and son Jakob, 26.

Love from all over poured in following Grace’s tribute to her mother, with one commenter writing, “Oh my god. i remember her so vividly from the first time i saw you on agt, she was so proud of you. im so so sorry for your loss. she will always be proud of you grace, shes always going to be taking care of you from somewhere. sending you big hugs. love you.”

“Grace I love all the traits your mom passed on to you: courage, kindness, inspiration, empathy, humility, and so much more,” another wrote. “I’ll always remember her through you.”

“Oh god Grace, I love you and your family so much,” added a different commenter. “Tina was such a light. This is impossible to understand. Sending you guys all so much love.”