‘The Cure’ singer Lady Gaga’s close friend dies following cancer battle

LADY Gaga is mourning the loss of one of her closest confidantes.

The pop star’s longtime friend, Sonja Durham, has passed away from stage IV cancer. Per TMZ, who was first to report the news, Sonja’s husband took to social media to share she died “peacefully and beautifully” at home.

Gaga has yet to address the news directly, but did dedicate a recent Instagram post to her pal of almost a decade. “Watching one of my best friends in the world show unfathomable courage, strength, and positivity while battling cancer has really changed my life,” she wrote. “Thank you Sonja for inspiring me and all of us everyday with your joy.”

The “Joanne” artist continued, “I love you so much it brings tears to my eyes just to think of all the years we’ve spent together backstage running the show, taking care of each other. You are one of a kind. I’m so proud of you. And you and Andre, your unbreakable beautiful love is what life is all about. You can see it in this photo. Wanted to share this with the world and show them what true beauty looks like.”

Lady Gaga’s latest album includes a bonus track titled “Grigio Girls,” which she has said was inspired by Sonja and the illness’s impact on their friendship.

“It’s about how me and all of our girlfriends would get together and cry without her when she’s not around because we love her so much. We just want to be strong with her,” the Grammy winner shared in a Radio.com interview about the song.

During her headlining set at Coachella 2017, Gaga also dedicated “The Cure” and an acoustic version of “Edgy of Glory” to Durham, who used to work as an assistant to the singer.

Earlier this year, Gaga helped plan and later attended Sonja’s wedding to Andre Dubois. In a blog post, Durham called Lady Gaga her “guardian angel,” thanking her for organizing her “dream wedding” and for years of support. ( Post)

Huffington