The family of R&B singer Keyshia Cole has been left grieving after her mother Frankie Lons succumbed to her battle with drug addiction on her 61st birthday.
Cole’s family confirmed Frankie passed away from an overdose after decades of battling with addiction, TMZ reports. Cole’s brother Sam shared how Frankie overdosed at her Oakland home on Sunday. She was partying and celebrating her birthday when she apparently took drugs after relapsing on her journey to sobriety.
Frankie was best known for her appearances in Keyshia’s reality TV shows over the years and would be transparent about her substance abuse issues. Cole has shared her rough upbringing over the course of her career. She was given up for adoption by Frankie and her biological father, Virgil Hunter.
After being raised by family friends, Cole was able to reunite with her birth parents as an adult after she gained fame and success in music.
After becoming a fan favorite, Frankie landed her own spin-off series Frankie & Neffe, alongside Cole’s sister Neffeteria Pugh, Yahoo News reports.
In recent years, Sam and others would check on Frankie daily to help motivate her to stay clean. They would document the journey on television and social media.
Elite Noel, Cole’s sister, announced Frankie’s passing on Instagram, saying “Worse pain ever. To see my mama in a body bag on her birthday! My heart so fuc*in broke,” The Source reports.
Keyshia Cole's sister Elite Noel announces the passing of their mother Frankie. Our immediate thoughts and prayers are with the family as they mourn this loss 🙏🏿 pic.twitter.com/wLkLYgmIy2
— The Boss Affiliate (@thebossaffilia) July 19, 2021
Another family member also announced Franki’s passing on social media saying, “happy birthday beautiful and rest in heaven.”
In 2018 Cole shared a transparent Instagram post about her mother’s relapse at the time.
“Every time my mom relapse, it breaks my heart more than it’s already been broken,” Cole shared. “I’m hoping, if any of u are dealing with a family member who’s battling with drug addiction, that you, yourself are learning how to cope with the struggle of it all. And all the pain it brings to see a loved one constantly relapsing.”
Cole’s family wants the world to remember Frankie as a loving mother who wanted nothing more than to have her children together despite their turbulent family history.