Demi Lovato, 27, is mourning the loss of her grandfather Perry, who sadly passed away on July 1. The songstress shared a touching tribute on her Instagram page, showing pics of the pair together along with a sweet caption. “Woke up to the news that my Grandpa Perry passed away early this morning. He’s been sick for a couple years now so although I’m relieved he is out of pain, it still hurts to think our family won’t get to say goodbye with a proper funeral for a while,” she began. “But that’s the reality during this pandemic.”
The former Disney star also wrote that Perry was a “fiercely” religious man, and she regrets not taking more photos with him. “This man loved God FIERCELY and was one of the best preacher’s I’ve ever had the honor in witnessing spread the word of God. I love you Grandpa. I’m sorry we didn’t take more pictures together but I have so many memories to make me smile until we meet again someday. Rest easy. Love you.”
Demi’s mom Dianna De La Garza commented on the carousel post, “Our memories with him are better than pictures. #RIP Chief.” Their family’s sad loss comes less than one week after Demi opened up to fellow songstress Kelly Clarkson, 38, about mental health. During their candid chat, the Camp Rock actress gushed over the the American Idol alum, calling her “courageous” and “genuine”. “You were, like, the first idol that I ever had, and I wouldn’t be the artist or even the person that I am with being so outspoken, and vulnerable, and fearless if I hadn’t had you to look up to,” Demi said.
The pair also discussed the Black Lives Matter movement, as protests and outcry continue sweeping the nation. “I think the first step is educating ourselves,” Demi began. “We have a lot of time on our hands right now. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be watching these movies and absorbing all the information that we possibly can about what’s going on in the world. And then, from there, we’ve seen it all over the media that being silent and being not racist is not enough anymore.”