Dirty Dancing icon Jennifer Grey pays tribute to her 'gorgeous, talented and brave' mother as she dies aged 94 just one week after being diagnosed with lung cancer

Dirty Dancing icon Jennifer Grey has revealed her 'talented and brave' mother Jo Wilder has died at the age of 94, just a week after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

The actress, 66, shared the news of her mother's passing on Instagram, and said she 'died on her own terms' after learning of her diagnosis.

Jennifer shared a collection of snaps of her mother during her younger years, including several of Jo holding her when she was a baby.

In the caption, she shared how her mother had always dreamed of becoming an actress but said 'never fully answered the calling,' and instead focused on raising her two children. 

She wrote: 'My mother, Jo Wilder, passed away on July 4th at 94 — by her own choosing, on her own terms, exactly as she lived.

'A week earlier, she learned she had lung cancer. True to who she was, she chose grace over fear, understanding that leaving this world with dignity is an honor, not a tragedy.

'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. 

'If she'd chosen ambition over my brother and me, we never would have had the mother we had. 

'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.

'She was brave and deep. I love you, Mom. Thank you for showing me how to do it all, even this, with grace.'

The star received many comments from stars offering their sympathies, including Josh Gad who wrote: 'Sending you so much love.'

Friends star Maggie Wheeler added: 'I have been thinking of you so much. I am lucky to have known your beautiful mother through the years of our friendship. 

'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.'

Jennifer's ex-husband Clark Gregg also offered his sympathies, posting a row of heart emojis in the comments.

Prior to rising to fame on Dirty Dancing, Jennifer was raised in the Hollywood circles as her father was the Oscar-winning actor Joel Grey.

While reflecting on her wild teenage years, Jennifer also revealed she felt a 'loss of innocence' when she was sexually assaulted by the apartment superintendent, only for her family to dismiss her accusations.

She said her father responded: 'Well, what did you expect? You were probably all juicy from your date.

'I was filled with shame as well as with a healthy dose of disgust,

'This was a loss of innocence. I felt perhaps I must've been somehow at fault, why else would the people I trusted most in the world disappoint me so profoundly?'

The actress is also known for her roles in films such as Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Red Dawn. 

It was confirmed earlier this year in January that a sequel to the hit 1987 movie Dirty Dancing is officially in the works. 

The big update was also shared to Grey's Instagram page at the time, and she is set to reprise her role as Frances 'Baby' Houseman.

Lionsgate Motion Picture Group chairman Adam Fogelson had shared what fans can expect in a statement.

'We are moving full steam ahead so that both existing fans and new audiences can discover the magic, the music and the emotion that is in a new theatrical film meant for the big screen,' Fogelson said, per People. 

Grey had starred alongside Patrick Swayze in the original film. The actor passed away in 2009 at the age of 57 following a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Social media users had offered their thoughts on the sequel at the time of the announcement, with one penning, 'Dirty Dancing sequel actually happening is wild.'

Another typed, 'Jennifer Grey back? Cool. Without Swayze? Flop incoming,' and a fan added, 'Wait – what? How can you make a Dirty Dancing sequel WITH Jennifer Grey but WITHOUT Patrick Swayze?'

Others expressed excitement over the upcoming film as one shared, 'Dirty Dancing is a classic – it's hard to touch that magic again. I just hope they respect the original and don't turn it into a cheap reboot.' 

Grey will not only star in the forthcoming project, but she is also an executive producer as well. 

She previously opened up about the sequel during a past interview with People and said, 'And I know in my heart, I would love to give fans or a young, new audience an experience that would never replicate that, but has the same kind of underpinnings.

'Today people think that their identity is limited, the world has told them what it is. But there are certain people who can see other parts of you.'

The star continued, 'Dirty Dancing was a fairy tale, a successful movie and formula, using dance as a metaphor for embodying your energy and getting out of your head, and your limiting belief systems.'