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Jane Etta Pitt, the mother of Academy Award-winning actor Brad Pitt, has died at the age of 84, PEOPLE confirmed.
Brad was the oldest of Jane's three children, which included son Doug and daughter Julie, shared with her husband William. Doug's daughter, Sydney, shared a tribute to her late grandmother on her Instagram account Wednesday (August 6).
"My sweet Grammy, Jane Etta, we were not ready for you to go yet but knowing you are finally free to sing, dance, and paint again makes it a tad easier," Sydey wrote. “If you knew Grammy, you knew she had the biggest heart,” Sydney continued. “She cared deeply for everyone and everything, no questions asked. She taught me how to paint, how to be strong, how to lead with kindness, to love Jesus through everything, and to find joy in the smallest things. She made up the silliest games just to make us laugh, and she believed in fairness, in putting others first, and doing good simply because it was the right thing to do.”
Brad gave a special shoutout to his mom while being interviewed by TODAY host Savannah Guthrie at a screening of his film F1 in June.
“I gotta say hi to my mom because she watches you every morning,” Pitt told Guthrie. “To Jane Pitt. Love you, Mom.”
Jane was a retired school counselor who mostly stayed out of the spotlight despite her son being an A-lost star for decades, but attended several red carpets during his career, which included the 2012 Academy Awards.