Losing any loved one is devasting – parents are no exception. Hamilton actress Jasmine Cephas Jones, daughter of the late entertainer Ron Cephas Jones’ knows the heartbreak and disbelief that comes with losing your parent all too well. She’s currently mourning the loss and recently admitted on Instagram that she’s had trouble accepting the fact that her father is gone after passing away earlier this month. On Aug. 19, a representative for Jones confirmed his death to PEOPLE at 66 years old. “Beloved and award-winning actor Ron Cephas Jones has passed away at the age of 66 due to a long-standing pulmonary issue,” they wrote in a statement.
Now Jones is trying to pick up the pieces. “Grief,” she captioned a post that highlighted her favorite moments with her father on Instagram. “This one is a battle. I keep looking at my phone wanting to call you and wanting to hear your voice. You listened… you REALLY listened to me.”
She continued, “You valued my opinion and you never judged me. We all know you were a great actor but my god you were a damn good father.”
The Blindspotting star vulnerably shared the “best gift” she’s received from her father and veteran actor, “as a father was giving me a safe space to just be me.” She went on to share that he was never “afraid of my womanhood and all the pain and awkwardness and social anxiety and tough burdens that society can put on us.”
Jones posted adorable throwbacks of her father holding her as a baby, along with videos of the father-daughter duo singing together over the years, noting how her dad was present in her life. “Led me. Mentored me. Gut laughed with me. Cried with me. Sang with me. Celebrated me. Studied with me. Cared for me… and loved me,” she stated.
“There’s so much so say, but I don’t have many words,” Jones concluded. “I just love you so much. I miss you beyond words. I still feel you here with me and I will carry you in my heart forever. Your Bird. 🤍🕊️.”
We’re praying for healing and peace for the entire Jones family as they continue to mourn and grieve a tremendous loss.