Jazmine Sullivan is reflecting on a heart-rending year.
In a personal message marking her 38th birthday shared to social media, the Grammy-winning singer noted she is still mourning the death of her mother Pamela Sullivan—who died in June 2023—and the loss of her son after she suffered a miscarriage.
“Whew…thank yall for ur birthday wishes,” the “Pick Up Your Feelings” singer wrote on her Instagram Story April 10. “Leading up to my birthday has been incredibly hard as I’ve been thinking abt my mother and missing her more than words can say.”
“Also, I realized I woulda been holding my 2 month old son that I never got to meet,” she continued. “So needless to say I’ve been down bad.”
Jazmine went on to note that she, however, has been able to find a little happiness amid all her grief.
“Yesterday I had a massage that helped to release some of the deep pain I’ve been holding in for a while,” she wrote. “So I’m grateful for that. I’m also grateful that so many of you think of me and take the time to write! It’s all so beautiful. Please continue to pray for me as I heal from life’s ass whooping.”
In a follow-up clip, the “Hurt Me So Good” singer shared her emotional reaction to friends and family surrounding her with a cake that featured her photo. In the video, Jazmine is seen tearing up as her loved ones cheer her on while the flames on her cake go out.
Jazmine also gave a special shout out to those closest to her as she showed off the cake box, writing, “As you can see I cried my little heart out.”
Prior to her mom’s passing—which came four years after she was diagnosed with breast cancer—Jazmine opened up about what her mother’s journey taught her about love.
“I’m even learning what love is, even with my parents still at 35 with my mom,” she told Complex in 2023, five months before Pam’s death, “going through what she’s going through with her health and just watching my dad just love her and support her through the hardest time of her life, just watching them.”
She added, “This is what love is and it’s not complicated. You want to be your best for someone so that they can be their best. It’s very simple, but it’s definitely something that I’m still learning about. I don’t know if there’s a perfect answer for what love is. You just constantly learn more about love, period, the longer you live.”
