Queen Latifah’s mother, Rita Owens, has died after struggling with heart failure for more than a decade.
Latifah announced her mother’s death on Wednesday in a statement to People, calling Owens, 69, the love of her life.
Known as a powerhouse rapper, singer, actress, producer and entertainment mogul, Latifah, born Dana Owens, turned 48 just this week.
But Rita Owens — pictured at right at Latifah’s induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2011 — was also a local celebrity.
She played Rita James, mother to Khadijah James, Latifah’s character on the ’90s sitcom “Living Single.” Owens also played Aunt Nettie in two movies Latifah produced — “The Cookout” (2004) and TV’s “The Cookout 2” (2011).
Owens lived in Wayne and worked as an art teacher at Irvington High School, her daughter’s alma mater. It was the same place where Latifah, a future Oscar nominee, formed the rap group Ladies Fresh, which won a school talent contest, setting her on the road to success in hip-hop and beyond.
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