Donyelle Jones
‘So You Think You Can Dance’ Star Dead at 46
Published
“So You Think You Can Dance” star Donyelle Jones has died after a long battle with breast cancer.
The tragic news was shared on her Instagram Tuesday, with the heartbreaking announcement reading … “Today at 8:34am, Donyelle Denise Wilson, transitioned. A wife. A daughter. A sister. A friend. And a warrior who kicked cancer’s a** every single day she was here.”
Jones was diagnosed with stage 3C breast cancer nearly a decade ago, and despite treatments, it progressed to stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.
She competed on Season 2 of the hit reality dance competition in 2006, finishing third behind Travis Wall and winner Benji Schwimmer.
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A week before her death, Jones confirmed she was in hospice and was preparing for death, noting … “I have done everything possible to extend my time here in this dimension. At this point I have surrendered to whatever God’s will is.”
Schwimmer paid tribute to his fellow dancer following the news of her death, sharing clips of her performing on ‘SYTYCD’ on Instagram, along with a video of himself speaking about the impact she made on him and the world.
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In the tearful clip, he said their dance partnership was like a marriage, but in some ways closer.
She was 46.
RIP