Trevor Noah is mourning the death of his beloved grandmother, Frances Noah, who many also know as “Gogo.”
The Daily Show host confirmed his family’s loss in a lengthy tribute post shared via Instagram on Thursday, less than a week after he celebrated Mother’s Day with 95-year-old Gogo. The post featured a soundless video in which Noah and his grandmother posed for a picture. The comedian began his message with a humorous Gogo quote: “How can I smile for a photo when I don’t have teeth?”
“My grandmother was born in 1927 and even though she was 95 years old, she still had the best memory of us all,” he wrote in the caption. “Every moment spent with her felt like a magical journey through time where she would recount all of the family’s greatest joys, losses, achievements and milestones. Her house in Soweto wasn’t just a home, it was a refuge, a place where other women would come when they had no other place to go, a place where members of the community would gather to pray together every single week, a place where everyone was guaranteed to feel the love emanating from her mighty chest.”
Noah has spoke about Gogo on many occasions, and also featured her in a 2018 episode of The Daily Show, when he traveled to his hometown in South Africa. During the 10-minute segment—titled “Cribs: Oppression Edition”—the grandmother and grandson discussed the legacy of Nelson Mandela, apartheid in South Africa, and institutionalized racism.
“I know many of you grew to love Gogo from afar and I thank you for the condolences and the blessings you’ve sent in her memory,” Noah continued. “I’ve cried all week celebrating the greatest “movie” I’ve ever watched. A story that began with my first breath and ended with her last. A woman who showed me the truest definition of unconditional love. She passed away peacefully in her sleep and even blessed us with one final Mother’s Day which she enjoyed to the fullest.”
You can read Noah’s full message below.
