“Please continue to pray for our family as we grieve such a tremendous loss,” Alaina wrote.

Lauren Alaina and her Cousin Holly; Photo Courtesy of Instagram

Lauren Alaina is mourning the devastating loss of her cousin, Holly Ervin Witherow, who passed away at just 41 years old. The 30-year-old country superstar, who has often spoken of the impact Holly had on her life and career, shared the heartbreaking news with fans on Friday evening (July 18) via her Instagram stories.

“I know so many of you loved and prayers for Holly after seeing her story in my American Idol audition,” Alaina wrote, referencing the moment she first told Holly’s story with fans during her 2011 run on American Idol. “You have prayed. You have loved her. You have supported us. We are forever grateful. Holly finally got complete and total healing and is walking with Jesus. Please continue to pray for our family as we grieve such a tremendous loss.”

Lauren Alaina and her Cousin Holly; Photo Courtesy of Instagram

Alaina’s aunt (Holly’s mom), Kim Ervin Witherow, first revealed the news with fans on social media in a Facebook group for the “Heaven Sent” singer. Witherow shared a photo of Holly that she captioned, “Words cannot express how I feel right now! My heart rejoices that I know that all of Hollys pain is gone! But my momma heart is broken! My baby gained her wings this morning! I’ve never been more proud of the woman I raised to love and fear God! Thanks to all of you who help me pray and followed her journey!”

On July 16, Holly’s mom Kim shared a tearful video update of her daughter’s condition with her followers.

Holly has played a significant role in Lauren Alaina’s career over the years. Alaina has even credited Holly with inspiring her to pursue singing. “She’s like a sister to me, more than a cousin, because I was raised with her. I really looked up to Holly growing up because she’s so beautiful, and it was like my goal to be like Holly… she’s like my big sister,” Alaina explained ahead of her American Idol audition in 2011, where she performed a cover of “Like We Never Loved At All” by Faith Hill.

In October 2019, while competing on Dancing With The Stars, Alaina had to fly home to be with Holly, as at the time she “had a brain bleed and slipped into a coma” and “was non-responsive.” Days later, Lauren Alaina honored her cousin by dedicating her Dancing With The Stars foxtrot performance to her. She and her dance partner, Gleb Savchenko, performed the routine to Dolly Parton’s classic hit, “Jolene.”

Lauren Alaina and her Cousin Holly; Photo Courtesy of Instagram

According to an 2019 interview with Alaina on PEOPLE, Holly was diagnosed with “stage four cancer brain tumor” at a young age. Holly was reportedly diagnosed with brain cancer in 2008.

The Georgia native also lost her father, Jerry Eugene “J.J.” Suddeth, one year ago on July 24, 2024. “We lost my daddy last night, and I really don’t have words yet,” she wrote at the time.

Lauren Alaina and her husband, Cam Arnold, recently celebrated the arrival of their first child, a daughter named Beni Doll Arnold. Born on June 11, Beni weighed 7 lbs., 13 oz., and measured 19 inches long. Alaina shared the exciting news on Instagram, posting a series of heartfelt photos of herself and Arnold with their newborn.

“The right words are hard to find to describe how parts of my heart that I didn’t even know existed were unlocked at 8:44 am when they laid you on my belly for the first time,” she wrote. “I will never be the same. You, to your dad and me, are absolute perfection. We are honored God chose us to be your parents.”

To celebrate the arrival of her beautiful baby girl, Lauren Alaina also released a new song that serves as a powerful tribute to her late father and daughter, titled “Heaven Sent.” Alaina’s “Heaven Sent” follows her previous release of  “All My Exes (feat. Chase Matthew),” “Household” and “Those Kind Of Women.”

Additionally, Lauren Alaina launched LA Lately, a video series that will find her inviting her “friends to come over” and “talk about what’s going on in our lives.” So far she has welcomed guests such as Russell and Kailey Dickerson, Brittany Aldean, Hannah Brown, Chase Matthew, Trisha Yearwood, and most recently Shane Profitt.

Alaina currently has several upcoming tour dates on the books, including stops in Georgia, Kentucky and Michigan, as well as three shows in Indiana. For more information on Lauren Alaina’s new music and upcoming shows, visit her official website.