Music

Lin-Manuel Miranda's Grandmother Passes Away

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By Dianne Gebauer

The Hamilton creator has lost his beloved grandmother.

Lin-Manuel Miranda took to Twitter late Monday, Dec. 25, 2017, to alert fans that his Abuela Mundi sadly died on Christmas morning.

"Abuela Mundi passed away this Christmas morning," the 37-year-old wrote in the post, which included a sweet collage of black-and-white photos of Mundi. "I may have more words in the days to come but for now my heart is in pieces and that's where it's gonna be for a bit."

Miranda's father, Luis A. Miranda, Jr., initially announced the sad news earlier that day, tweeting, "Atención! Abuela Claudia passed away at ten today. We'll miss her. Que descanse en paz," along with a family photo.

Miranda, who penned the star-studded charity single "Almost Like Praying" to benefit Puerto Rico hurricane relief in October, opened up about the profound influence Mundi had on his life from an early age in an essay for Broadway.com in 2007.

"She took care of my father when he was a kid in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico. His parents never stopped working, and when I was born, she came to take care of me and my sister [in Washington Heights]," he wrote, noting that she "isn't biologically my 'abuela' grandmother." In the piece, Miranda, who is expecting a second child with his wife, Vanessa Nadal, added that she served as an inspiration for his first Broadway hit, In The Heights.

"The payoff for me will be in late January, when my Abuela Mundi comes to see the show for the first time," he continued. "There's an Abuela character in the show now, Abuela Claudia. She plays Lotto every day, hoping for the lucky numbers that will make her rich and change her life."

Mundi also went to see Hamilton in 2015. "Abuela Mundi is seeing the [matinee]," the "How Far I'll Go" songwriter tweeted at the time (via E! News). "Hope she likes Hamilton better than Heights, to which she said, 'you had me win the lotto and you KILLED ME?'"

Our thoughts are with Miranda and his loved ones during this difficult time.

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