Megan Thee Stallion made a heart-wrenching decision in 2019 to take her mother, Holly Thomas, off life support after a series of debilitating seizures left her unresponsive.
Thomas, at 47, had been battling a brain tumor, and according to Megan, doctors informed her that her mother’s condition would not improve.
Speaking in her latest documentary Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words, the rapper recounted the long, difficult nights she spent at her mother’s bedside, hoping for a miracle before realizing it was time to let go.
“They had to put her under, and she was just brain dead,” Megan said in the film. “I stayed up there every day… just praying that she could shake back from it. But once I realized she wasn’t coming back, I knew I couldn’t keep her like this. I had to make the decision to pull the plug, and she passed the next day.”
Losing her mother deeply affected Megan, who was 24 at the time and had been rising in the world of Hip-Hop.
Holly Thomas was not only her mom but also her manager and guiding influence. Her death left the rapper feeling both lost and overwhelmed.
“When my mama passed away,” Megan remembered, “I think I really forgot who I was. I lost a lot of confidence because I was so used to my mama telling me what to do. And when life started getting crazy, I didn’t have her.”
Holly’s influence on Megan went beyond just professional advice.
In a 2021 interview, the Grammy-winning artist spoke about how both her mother and great-grandmother instilled lessons of strength and positivity that shaped her as an artist and individual.
“My mom and [late great-grandmother] filled me with self-love and determination,” Megan said. “Because of them, I never felt unworthy of my success or my womanhood. They taught me that other women don’t need to lose for me to win.”