Octavia Spencer is grieving the loss of a close family member this week, asking her fans to pray for them.
The actress disclosed to her Instagram followers on Tuesday that her nephew has died. Sharing a dimly lit photo of a vase full of pink peonies, Spencer wrote, “Grief. You wouldn’t know it by this picture that today was the second worst day of my life.” She explained, “My family lost the first of the next generation of us, and we’re gutted. Grief is the most terrifying of emotions because I can’t laugh my way out of it. I have to feel. Right now, I’m feeling for my sister who lost her only son. Her only child.” The Hidden Figures star then asked that if any of her followers are “praying people” that they “pray for her and my brother in law.”
Spencer has five sisters and one brother, the majority of whom prefer to retain their anonymity in order to protect their privacy. But one of the actress’s younger sisters, Areka Spencer, who is a morning news anchor on WRKO has previously spoken on-air about how impressed she is by her sibling. In 2012, Areka said, “I’m enormously proud of everything my sister’s done. But The Help was the greatest I’ve seen her. It was that moment of magic. When we walked out, I said, ‘You’re going to receive an award for that.’’’ And she was right as Spencer went on to win the Golden Globe, the BAFTA, the SAG Award, and the Oscar for best performance by an actress in a supporting role.
The sad news of her nephew’s passing also comes just days after Spencer celebrated her 52 birthday. In the lead-up to that occasion, the actress shared a childhood photo and an introspective moment with her followers, writing, “In about four days this five year old will be 52. What she couldn’t know is the woman she’d grow into would be fearless (of people…critters and germs are another story). She couldn’t know that the woman standing with open arms escorting her into the next phase of life would be an alternate version of herself, a version that would eviscerate any foe that would expect her to diminish her light. Protect your inner child at all costs. #alwayshavealwayswill”