Criscilla Crossland Anderson, a hip-hop choreographer who worked with artists including Britney Spears and Rihanna, died from colon cancer at age 45. Her friend and photographer, Lindsey, confirmed her death on Instagram on Dec. 3.
“My heart is shattered to share this,” Lindsey wrote. “Being by her side until the very end was the greatest honor of my life.”
Anderson was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in 2018. Though she achieved remission in 2021, the cancer returned in 2022 and spread to her lymph nodes. In a Nov. 15 Instagram post, Anderson revealed that her initial prognosis seven years ago gave her a two-year life expectancy.
She appeared in the 2020 Netflix reality series “Country Ever After” alongside her ex-husband, Texas country music singer Coffey Anderson. The show documented their family life and her cancer battle. The couple, who married in 2009, were undergoing divorce proceedings at the time of her death.
Anderson shared three children with Coffey Anderson: son Ethan and daughters Emmarie and Everleigh. She was also stepmother to Savannah, Coffey’s daughter from a previous marriage.
Before her death, Anderson wrote a final message that her friend shared. “My sweet community, if you’re reading this, I’ve finally slipped into the arms of Jesus — peacefully and surrounded by love,” Anderson wrote. “Please don’t stay in the darkness of this moment. I fought hard and I loved deeply. I am not gone… I’m Home.”
She left individual messages for each of her children, whom she called her “whole heart.” “Ethan, you made me a mom. I’m still beside you, cheering you on. Savannah, my bonus girl — you were a gift God knew I needed. Emmarie, my Jesus-loving dancer — keep dancing through every season. Everleigh, my bright spark — chase your dreams boldly and without fear.”
Her message concluded, “My babies… I am watching over you. When a moment feels warm, familiar, or too beautiful to be coincidence — that’s me. I’m still mothering you. I’m still yours.”
