Family of DWTS Guest Performer Faces Double Heartbreak After Back-to-Back Deaths

The family of a dancer who once was a “Dancing with the Stars” guest performer has been dealt another devastating blow. Ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince died at the age of 29, her family revealed in an Instagram post on September 13.

The following day, the family reported via Facebook that the dancer’s mother has died as well.

Michaela Mabinty DePrince’s Mother Elaine Died 1 Day After Her Daughter

In a Facebook post shared on September 14, the family wrote, “The last few days have been even more difficult than most people realize because the family has also been dealing with the death of Michael’s adoptive mother Elaine DePrince.”

“Michaela passed away on September 10th, not the 13th as some places have reported. Her mother Elaine died during a routine procedure in preparation for a surgery on September 11th,” the family continued.

They added, “Michaela died before Elaine and Elaine did not know of Michaela’s passing at the time of her procedure.”

The family also shared, “As unbelievable as it may seem, the two deaths were completely unrelated.”

“The only way we can make sense of the senseless is that Elaine, who had already lost three children many years ago, was by the grace of God spared the pain of experiencing the loss of a fourth child,” the family’s post explained.

The family thanked everybody for the support they had received in the wake of Michaela’s death. They noted, however, “There has been a great deal of speculation online so the family would like to officially set the record straight about a few things.”

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The New York Times noted on September 15 that Michaela’s adoptive father Charles DePrince died in 2020 after living for some time with Parkinson’s disease.

The media outlet noted that Elaine’s health “had been declining in recent months after her congenital heart failure worsened.”

Before Michaela and her sister Mia were adopted and brought from Sierra Leone to the United States, the DePrince family had adopted three young boys. All three boys had hemophilia and later contracted H.I.V. and eventually died.

The outlet noted that the idea to adopt Michaela and Mia from Africa developed from an idea one of the boys had before he died.

Michaela is survived by brothers Erik and Adam, as well as sisters Mia, Amie, Jaye, Mariel, and Bee. The family has not revealed Michaela’s cause of death.

The family’s Facebook post, written by their family spokesperson Jess Volinski, acknowledged, “What the family is going through right now is truly unimaginably painful.” Volinski is married to Michaela’s brother Erik.

“Grieving two family members who died within a 24 hour period is tragic and devastating,” the statement continued.

“May the beauty Elaine and Michela (sic) brought to the world live on for many generations. I will never forget my time with Elaine,” someone wrote in response to the family’s post.

“I’m so sorry for the enormous loss you have had to endure. Wishing you strength and peace as you try to heal. The world admired and loved both of these special people,” read another comment.

“Bless this family who has endured so much pain but continues to maintain and inspire. So much sorrow for your losses,” wrote a Reddit user in a thread dedicated to the family’s news.

Stacy Carey has been a freelance writer focusing on reality television and celebrity news for more than a decade. She is a Heavy contributor for The Bachelor, Hallmark and Dancing With the Stars. More about Stacy Carey