Kelis' husband, Mike Mora, has died of stomach cancer at age 37, the "Milkshake" singer's rep confirms to TODAY.
“After a tough two-year battle with cancer, we are devastated to have to confirm the loss of our beloved brother Mike," the statement read.
"An amazing Father, husband, and friend who gave so genuinely and cared so deeply for his family and friends," the statement continued. "Through this difficult period, we ask that you respect the privacy of Kelis and her family at this time.”
Kelis and the photographer have been married since 2014 and they share two kids: Shepherd, 6, and a 1-year-old daughter, Galilee. Kelis is also mom to her 12-year-old son, Knight, whom she shares with ex-husband Nas.
“Hey, so I’ve been kind of MIA, very MIA, but for a really good reason cause I just had my baby!” Kelis shared on Instagram shortly after she welcomed her little girl in September 2020. “It was intense."
The mom-of-three later posted a photo of her holding her baby's hand on Instagram. She captioned it, "She’s just the sweetest little thing."
A few days after Kelis gave birth, Mora decided to get himself checked out for a terrible pain that he was feeling in his stomach and in his back.
“It was a bit late,” he shared on Instagram. “But just in time.”
Mora revealed that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 stomach cancer and it was beginning to spread to the lymph nodes in his back.
According to the American Cancer Society, stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, happens when “cells in the stomach start to grow out of control.”
Stomach cancer affects more men than women in the United States. Men who are Hispanic Americans, African Americans, Native Americans, and Asian/Pacific Islanders run a higher risk of getting it than those who are non-Hispanic whites. The average age of diagnosis is age 68.
"They could no longer help me there," he said. "So I was discharged the following morning."
"I am posting this, after so much thought. Not because I want people to feel bad or sorry for me and my family. I am posting this because life is full of the most unexpected situations," Mora continued. "I never thought this could happen to me."
"At just 36, with three kiddos, and a wife that loves me, I want to be able to help those that might experience something, maybe, hopeful. By showing that it's possible to make it through," he added. "I was told people with my disease, in this phase, didn't make it past 18 months. It's been exactly 12," he said.
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