Criscilla Crossland Anderson, a widely respected choreographer whose career included performances with global icons such as Britney Spears and Rihanna, has died at age 45 after a prolonged fight with stage 4 colon cancer. Her death was confirmed on Wednesday, Dec. 3, by close friend and photographer Lindsey of Lovesong Photography, who shared a tribute on Instagram.
“My heart is shattered to share this,” Lindsey wrote, calling it “the greatest honor” to stand beside Anderson through her final days. The post also featured Anderson’s final message—words she wrote in anticipation of her passing, filled with gratitude, faith, and unwavering love for her children.
Anderson rose to prominence as a dynamic hip-hop dancer and later co-starred with her then-husband, Texas country artist Coffey Anderson, in the 2020 Netflix reality series Country Ever After. The show documented their family life and her early cancer treatments, bringing national attention to her resilience.
Diagnosed in 2018 and given a two-year prognosis, Anderson defied expectations, reaching remission in 2021 before the cancer returned in 2022. Recent updates from family and friends detailed increasingly complex health challenges, including cancerous fluid around her heart and a stroke.
Her final letter, shared publicly at her request, addressed her “sweet community,” her “circle of women,” and most tenderly, her four children—Ethan, Savannah, Emmarie, and Everleigh. “I fought hard and I loved deeply,” she wrote. “I am not gone… I’m Home.”
Local faith communities, cancer advocacy groups, and fans across the entertainment industry have responded with tributes praising her courage and her openness about terminal illness. Her journey mirrors a larger rise in public storytelling around long-term cancer survivorship, which experts say helps reduce stigma and offers support to families navigating late-stage diagnoses.
To her family, she left one final reminder: “Be gentle with each other… and remember: heaven isn’t as far away as it feels.”
Criscilla Crossland Anderson is survived by her four children and her extended community of friends, dancers, creatives, and supporters who witnessed her remarkable fight.
