Criscilla Anderson, known to fans for her work on Country Ever After, died on December 2, 2025, at age 45, after a long battle with colon cancer. In recent years, fans followed her deeply personal health journey as she openly shared updates about her illness online. Her death was confirmed in a posthumous Instagram announcement shared by her friend and photographer Lindsey Villatoro, including a farewell message from Criscilla herself.
“My heart is shattered to share this. I promised Criscilla I would walk this journey with her whenever she couldn’t stand on her own two feet, and I pray she knows how fiercely she was loved,” Lindsey wrote, alongside multiple photos of Anderson. “Being by her side until the very end was the greatest honor of my life.”
Below, learn more about Criscilla and the cancer she battled.
Who Was Criscilla Anderson?
Criscilla was a dancer, choreographer and reality-TV personality who appeared on Country Ever After with her ex-husband, Coffey Anderson. Previously, she danced with major music stars and worked as a choreographer for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders — a role she returned to in 2024 as an audition judge.
Off-screen, Anderson was a devoted mother to a blended family of four children, including three she shared with Coffey and one stepchild. She often gave fans a glimpse into family life while also sharing updates from her cancer journey.
In her posthumous message, Anderson wrote to her children, “To my children, my 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. 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.”
What Cancer Did Criscilla Anderson Have?
Criscilla was first diagnosed with colon cancer in 2018. By 2019–2020, her condition had progressed to stage 4. After a period of remission around 2021, the disease returned, spreading to her lymph nodes and eventually metastasizing to other organs, including her brain and lungs, as revealed in updates from her close friend.
In 2022, she told People that “the chances of [cancer] returning are very, very high,” adding, “That’s why it’s always been important for me to not only celebrate all the victories, but prepare my mind for a bad scan, which takes us right back to the drawing board. It’s almost like I have to treat the cancer like a chronic disease.”
Even in her final months, she explored treatment options including radiation and possible clinical trials for colon cancer, demonstrating a long and courageous fight.
How Did Criscilla Anderson Die?
Criscilla died on December 2, 2025, at the age of 45, after a lengthy battle with colon cancer.
