Losing a loved one is not a one-time occurrence; it can be an experience endured each day from the moment they’re gone. This has been the case for Jennifer Love Hewitt, who opened up recently about the grief that still leaves her hollow ten years after her mother Patricia died.
Back in 2012, Patricia died at the age of 67 from complications related to cancer. It was Patricia who, following advice from a talent scout, brought Hewitt from Texas to L.A., in a move that would be impactful for the trajectory of Hewitt’s career. Beyond the professional influence, at the personal level, Hewitt is still mourning the loss of both her mother and her “best friend.”
Jennifer Love Hewitt opens up to fans about losing her mother Patricia
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June 12 marked a somber day for Hewitt. On that date, she went onto social media to discuss a very vulnerable aspect of her emotions that chased her for a decade. “Today is 10 years since losing my best friend,” she revealed. The former Disney Channel star continued, “Someone told me after losing my mom that the first year would feel impossible, the years after would build strength in me and then the 10 year mark would be an open wound all over again. Because it would feel insane to have been without her that long.”
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Those words of insight proved accurate. “They were right,” she confirmed beside a picture of mother and daughter smiling beside each other. “Today feels very raw. I will never forget not making it to say goodbye. I will never forget walking into her house that day and hoping somehow she would come around the corner, waking up the day after praying it was all a bad dream. The countless times I called her by accident when something good or bad happened because I forgot she couldn’t pick up. I am proud of the way I’ve handled grief. But I wish it wasn’t so painful.”
Grieving for Patricia has been an ongoing, evolving experience for Hewitt
On the Monday preceding Patricia’s passing, Hewitt had flown to the Monte Carlo Television Festival. When things took a turn for the worse, she hurried home before her mother passed that Wednesday, though apparently not with enough time to properly say goodbye. A representative for Hewitt called Patricia “an angel to all who knew her.” Indeed, she had supported Hewitt’s career, even when she reprised the role of a prostitute from The Client List, finding it “hilarious.” Thanks to some choices made by her mother years ago, Hewitt’s resume would also include the horror classic I Know What You Did Last Summer alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Heartbreakers alongside Ray Liotta.
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Speaking further of the mourning process and loss in general, Hewitt added that she would take time to “celebrate her because I know she helped me build my family.” Those people, in turn, give Hewitt happiness and the strength to continue each day. “I will eat and drink her favorite things today,” she shared of her plans for the somber day. “The kids and I will look at pics of Mimi and all her adventures and I will feel so grateful that she was mine if only for awhile.” Hewitt finds support in her family, which includes husband Brian Hallisay, as well as three children. She has also received an outpouring of support from her fans, a group that grew greatly thanks to her presence in 9-1-1.
Finally, in her post, Hewitt concluded, “I love you mama. Always and forever.”
