Jennifer Grey announced that her mom, Jo Wilder, died at age 94 on Saturday, July 4.
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In an emotional Instagram tribute shared Wednesday, July 8, Grey, 66, wrote that Wilder died “by her own choosing, on her own terms, exactly as she lived,” one week after receiving a lung cancer diagnosis.
“True to who she was, she chose grace over fear, understanding that leaving this world with dignity is an honor, not a tragedy,” Grey continued. “She was gorgeous and talented – a promising young actress on the New York stage in her youth. She used to say she never fully answered that calling; she became a mother instead.”
Wilder shared kids Jennifer and James Katz with ex-husband Joel Grey.
“If she’d chosen ambition over my brother and me, we never would have had the mother we had,” Jennifer’s caption continued. “Her passion found other outlets: she was a lifelong activist, fiercely attuned to right and wrong. And for years, many people discovered her extraordinary eye through Wilder Place, her store on Melrose.”
The Dirty Dancing star concluded, “She was brave and deep. I love you, Mom. Thank you for showing me how to do it all, even this, with grace.”
Wilder was a singer and actress, known for her role as Polly in The Threepenny Opera national tour, which took place in 1960. Wilder also snagged stage roles in Peter Pan and Gypsy during her time as a regional theater actress.
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Several stars took to the comments section of Jennifer’s post to share their condolences.
“I have been thinking of you so much. I am lucky to have known your beautiful mother through the years of our friendship,” Maggie Wheeler, known for her role as Janice on Friends, wrote. “She was fierce and kind and curious.. and .. she was deeply blessed with a daughter who showed her the most unwavering love [and] unwavering support.”
Julianne Moore and Josh Gad were among other notable names who shared their love. Rachel Zegler also commented with a red heart emoji.
“So sorry for your loss,” Moore wrote. Gad added, “Sending you so much love.”
Lea Thompson also remembered Jennifer’s mom, writing, “A beautiful tribute. I love you so much. Your mom was the best.”
Jennifer’s ex-husband, Clark Gregg, commented three red heart emojis as well. They were married for 19 years before finalizing their divorce in February 2021. The former couple share daughter Stella, 24.
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This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 9:39 AM.