Beauty YouTuber Jessica Pettway Dead Following Serious Medical Misdiagnosis
Beauty influencer Jessica Pettway has died. She was 36.
Pettway's sister, Reyni Brown, shared the news of Pettway's passing in a statement on social media on March 15.
"It’s my birthday today, and the only thing I could ever wish for is for God to bring you back on this earth. I lost my beautiful big sister [two] days ago and my heart has never felt pain like this," Brown wrote.
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Brown called Pettway "the most amazing, strong, confident" woman and added her sister had "so much wisdom, prayed for me, and helped me become a better mother."
"Life will never be the same without her crazy laugh, pranks, or jokes. [Losing] a sibling feels like a connection between us was destroyed. I love you with all my heart," Brown concluded.
Pettway had stage 3 cervical cancer.
Jessica Pettway's Cervical Cancer Diagnosis
Jessica Pettway first shared her diagnosis publicly in an Instagram post in July 2023.
"I took these photos a few days ago, and it's currently my favorite photo of myself. It brings me so much joy to see how far I've come, because a few months ago I received devastating news," she wrote.
"I was diagnosed with stage 3 cancer. I don't even know where to begin, but I want to share why I've been gone for so long, in hopes that at least one person is encouraged by my story," she continued.
Pettway added that "being told I have cancer didn't devastate me," but rather she was heartbroken by "the reaction of those close to me."
Pettway had been a staple in the beauty community on YouTube for the last 10 years.
She is survived by her husband, Michael, and their two children: Kailee, 10, and Zoi Lee, 3.
Celebrities Who Have Had Cervical Cancer
Over the years a number of celebrities have been diagnosed with cervical cancer, which develops in the cervix and is often linked to HPV, a.k.a. human papillomavirus.
American writer Judy Blume of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. fame underwent a hysterectomy when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer back in the mid-’90s.
Sportscaster Erin Andrews was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2016.
“I was in my dressing room when the phone rang and [the doctor] said, ‘You’re good. We got it.’ I was like, ’Oh my God,’ crying — while trying on a ballroom dress,” she told Health magazine in 2017, per Sports Illustrated.
Other celebrities who have been diagnosed with cervical cancer include Real Housewives star Tamra Judge, Liz Lange, Joey Feek and Jessica Knowles.
Celebrities Who Died in 2024
Gallery Credit: Jacklyn Krol