The 'Pose' actor mourns the passing of his beloved mother and pays a moving tribute to his recently-deceased relative in the wake of her death at the age of 79.
- Mar 2, 2024
AceShowbiz - Billy Porter feels "heartbroken" following the death of his mother aged 79. The 54-year-old actor has remembered his late mum, Cloerinda, and admitted she will "forever" be in his heart. "With heavy hearts we announce the passing of our loving mother, Cloerinda Jean Johnson Porter-Ford. We were right beside her when she took her last breath, wrapped in our arms," he wrote on Instagram.
"Mommy lived life to the fullest despite physical limitations pressed upon her. She was the personification of true Christianity and her unconditional love is a template that the world could benefit from employing. Her example is what we continue to strive for."
"We are heartbroken she is no longer here with us, but find solace that her suffering has ended. Her fight was long and hard - she did it with grace and integrity. Mommy will remain forever in our hearts as she continues to guide us from above, as she has done on this Earth. From Labor to Reward... (sic)"
In 2017, Billy told how his mother was "born with a degenerative disability that has only progressed and worsened." In an interview for Build Series, he said at the time, "That woman has got out of bed every single day of her life and has fought for her life when everybody on the planet said that he shouldn't even bother. I don't know how to be anything else when you have an example like that. You can't be anything else."
"Pose" star Billy revealed in 2021 that he had been diagnosed HIV-positive in 2007, and he only told his mother 14 years later, too. Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter about telling his mum, he recalled her saying, "You've been carrying this around for 14 years? Don't ever do this again. I'm your mother, I love you no matter what. And I know I didn't understand how to do that early on, but it's been decades now."
