Justin Timberlake is publicly honoring one of his backup singers after she sadly passed away this week following a lengthy cancer battle.
The pop star shared a slideshow of videos and pictures of Nicole Hurst on Instagram on Friday.
"My heart is so heavy," he wrote. "We lost a beautiful soul this week. Nicole lit up every room she walked into. On and off the stage she was a constant source of joy and positivity."
Nicole, who also performed onstage with Kelly Clarkson and Janet Jackson, was diagnosed with stage 2 triple positive breast cancer in July 2013. Two years later, after her cancer reached stage 3, she was declared in remission. However, things took a turn in January 2019 when she discovered the cancer had spread to her brain.
"Some things feel so unfair and we will never understand why they happen," Justin said. "What I do know is that we were blessed to laugh with her, to travel with her, and to experience her infectious smile and love for a life filled with music. Nicole, it's not enough to say that I am going to miss you dearly. Thank you for your light. I will do my best to carry that with me. I love you, my sister. Forever family and forever a TN Kid."
Among the clips Justin showed was one of Nicole singing during his Man of the Woods tour in 2018.
Back in August 2019, Nicole opened up about her battle in a lengthy Instagram message.
"The reality is, it doesn't matter how amazing your life looks, your background, net worth, or even who you sing with, life does not discriminate and can turn on you at any time!," she said. "My battle isn't over yet, and I don't know what the future holds…really none of us do. But I know by the grace of God, along with the unrelenting support from my incredible family and friends, I'm fighting this thang with everything in me, and so far I'm winning cause I'm still here!"