Lauren Alaina Mourns Loss
Lauren Alaina Mourns Loss
The singer says goodbye to someone she called “like a sister.”
Lauren Alaina is grieving the loss of her cousin, Holly Witherow, who passed away after a long and difficult battle with cancer.
Fans first learned about Holly during Alaina’s 2011 American Idol audition, where she shared how close the two were. “She’s like a sister to me,” Alaina said at the time. More recently, she posted in 2023, “I wouldn’t be me without Holly.”
Holly’s mother, Kim Ervin Witherow, confirmed her daughter’s passing in a Facebook post on July 19. Alaina also shared the news, writing, “Holly finally got complete and total healing and is walking with Jesus.”
Holly’s cancer journey spanned nearly two decades, including a diagnosis of brain cancer that sometimes left her unable to speak. In 2019, Alaina briefly left Dancing With the Stars to be with Holly in Nashville after an emergency brain surgery. “They told her she was going to die 12 years ago and she did not,” the singer told People at the time.
Alaina added after her passing, “Please continue to pray for our family as we grieve such a tremendous loss.”
This marks the third major loss in recent years for the country star. Her father, J.J. Suddeth, passed away in 2024, and her stepfather, Sam Ranker, died in 2018 — both after battles with cancer.
Despite personal heartbreak, Alaina continues to create music. Her latest single, “Heaven Sent,” was released the same day she welcomed her first child, Beni Doll Arnold, with husband Cam Arnold in June 2025.
Her most recent EP, Unlocked, came out in 2023, and she’s remained active with collaborations and performances.
