'Dancing with the Stars' pro Keo Motsepe mourns the loss of his mother with emotional tribute
"I lost the queen of my heart."
"Dancing with the Stars" pro Keo Motsepe is mourning the death of his mother.
The 31-year-old dancer quietly announced his mother's passing on Wednesday via Instagram stories.
Posting an undated photo of his mom, Motsepe wrote, "I am gonna miss you mama. Love you #RIP." No cause of death has been revealed, but the dancer conveyed that it was unexpected.
Motsepe briefly went live on Instagram on Wednesday and tearfully told his followers that he "woke up this morning to the most painful news ever." He went onto explain, "I lost the queen of my heart."
Motsepe, who is a South African dancer, joined "DWTS" last season as the first Black male professional dancer.
He met his current girlfriend on the show, "Selling Sunset" star Chrishell Stause, who was also competing for the Mirror Ball Trophy.
The dancer recently reflected on his history-making casting in a reflective post last week, where he discussed his standout moments of 2020.
"While there are no words to describe the many challenges 2020 had in store for us, I find myself inspired by not only those I hold close to my heart but humanity," he captioned the picture collage that featured a photo of his mother. "This year more than ever, I’ve seen people come together like never before, and while uncertainty is still in the air, I hope we continue being there for each other. Thank you all for your kindness and love, and may 2021 bring you joy, health and light."