Kristin Chenoweth, 55, pays tribute to biological mother Lynn in wake of her sudden passing… just over a decade after meeting for the first time: ‘I will miss her till the end of my days’
Kristin Chenoweth is mourning the death of her biological mother, whom she first met in 2012 at the age of 44.
The Broadway superstar, 55 – who was adopted as a baby – shared the news of her birth mother Lynn’s passing in a heartfelt Instagram tribute on Saturday.
“The angel who brought me into this world has passed away,” Chenoweth began in the caption. ‘Her name is Lynn. In other words, Mamalynn.”
The Wicked star reflected on their decade-plus relationship and thanked Lynn for giving her “artistic ability.”
“The more than ten years I’ve known her have been magical. So many things about myself became clear when I met her and really got to know her.
“Those of us who knew her loved her light. Her love for music and all things artistic. An artist himself!’
RIP: Kristin Chenoweth mourns the death of her birth mother, whom she first met in 2012 at age 44
“The mother of beautiful Jennifer and sweet Chris,” Chenoweth added. “Man, she loved her kids!”
The Tony and Emmy-winning recording artist credited her biological mother for influencing her musical tastes.
“In her gut, I became fans of Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan, Doyle Bramhall, Jimi Hendrix, and of course Billy Ethridge — my biological father,” Chenoweth shared.
“Those two gave me the innate artistic ability I have now.”
In a heartfelt revelation, Chenoweth said her birth mother “prayed for me every year on my birthday, hoping I had the most perfect life, which of course I was.
“I snuck out and prayed for her too, wishing I could say ‘thank you’ one day. Which I did on 12/12/12. Have a wonderful day!’ she gushed.
Since first meeting over a decade ago, Chenoweth and Lynn had maintained a close relationship until her untimely death.
“In the end, we left nothing unsaid,” she wrote. ‘I will miss her until the end of my days.
“But then I’ll fly up into the sky, where she’ll be waiting to greet me, and she’ll say, ‘start singing Babygirl!’ And I will. RIP Mamalynn.’
Chenoweth was adopted when she was five days old by Junie Smith Chenoweth and Jerry Morris Chenoweth, both chemical engineers from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, a suburb of Tulsa.
The Broadway superstar, 55 – who was adopted as a baby – shared the news of her birth mother Lynn’s passing in a heartfelt Instagram tribute on Saturday
“The more than ten years I’ve known her have been magical. So many things about myself became clear when I met her and really got to know her,” she wrote. “Those of us who knew her loved her light. Her love for music and all things artistic. An artist himself!’
The Wicked star reflected on their decade-plus relationship and thanked Lynn for giving her ‘artistic ability’
Bond: Since first meeting over a decade ago, Chenoweth and Lynn had maintained a close bond until her untimely death
“In the end, we left nothing unsaid,” she wrote. ‘I will miss her until the end of my days’
“The adoption: It was never a surprise,” Chenoweth said of her adoptive parents during an appearance on the Today show in 2022. “They used to say, ‘The lady you had in her belly couldn’t take care of you the way she wanted to. to, and she loved you so much”‘
Gift of life: Chenoweth quoted her adoptive mother when speaking about her birth mother: ‘She gave you life, but we get to give you a life’
Power of genetics: Chenoweth showed how she and her birth mother often adopt a similar playful attitude, despite never seeing the other do it
During a performance on Today in March 2022, Chenoweth shared how her parents talked about her adoption when she was a child.
“It was never a surprise,” she explained. “They used to say, ‘The lady you had in her belly couldn’t take care of you the way she wanted to, and she loved you so much.'”
Chenoweth continued, “Here’s what my mother said, ‘She gave you life, but we’re allowed to give you life.'”
The Broadway icon went on to share how she and her dad described her arrival to start their family: “My dad always says ‘Man, did we win the lottery’ and I always say ‘No, I won the lottery.'”