Mike Mora, husband of eight years to Kelis, has passed away at the age of 37 following an 18-month battle with stage 4 stomach cancer. The singer’s team confirmed the news to Entertainment Tonight Monday (March 14). Billboard reached out for additional information.
“Sadly, it’s true that Mike Mora has passed away,” Steve Satterthwaite of Red Light Management confirmed to ET. “We would ask all to respect Kelis and her family’s privacy as of right now.”
Mora, a professional photographer, married Kelis in 2014. He has two children with the 42-year-old R&B vocalist and was stepfather to her son with her first husband, Nas. Around September 2020 — just as he and Kelis welcomed their second child together — he started feeling symptoms of what would turn out to be stage 4 stomach cancer. This began a painful, year and a half-long battle which he sometimes chronicled in Instagram posts.
“Doctors came in my room and gave me the most horrifying, unexpected news,” he wrote alongside an October 2021 photograph of his gastric adenocarcinoma diagnosis. “I did not understand the language written on this paper. All I knew from the look in their faces was that it wasn’t a good diagnosis. It was the worst diagnosis. And they were scared for me.”
In another October post, he talked about how shocking it was to receive his diagnosis at such a young age. “I never thought this could happen to me,” Mora wrote. “At just 36, with 3 kiddos, and a wife that loves me. I want to be able to help those that might be experiencing something like this- a life altering disease full of questions and doubt- maybe, hopefully. By showing that it’s possible to make it through.”
“You always see people post about how life is too short,” he continued. “How you should reach out to those you love no matter where life has taken you. It is the truth. Don’t take your time here, your time with friends, family, for granted. Sh-t can be over just like that!”
Mora ended each of his posts about his cancer battle with the same signature: “The story will continue… Love you @kelis.”
