'Eat, Pray, Love' author Elizabeth Gilbert's partner and best friend Rayya Elias dies after battling cancer
WATCH 'Eat, Pray, Love' Author Elizabeth Gilbert Reveals She's in Love With Woman With Cancer
“Eat, Pray, Love” author Elizabeth Gilbert is mourning the loss of her best friend and partner, Rayya Elias.
The scribe announced Elias passed away by posting a photo on Instagram Thursday.
“She was my love, my heart, my best friend, my teacher, my rebel, my angel, my protector, my challenger, my partner, my muse, my wizard, my surprise, my gift, my comet, my liberator, my rock star, my completely impossible non-cooperator, my otherworldly visitor, my spiritual portal, and my baby,” Gilbert, 48, began in a lengthy caption on Instagram.
Stefanie Keenan/Getty ImagesElizabeth Gilbert and girlfriend Rayya Elias hold 'ceremony of love' Elizabeth Gilbert reveals she's in love with a woman with cancer
She was my love, my heart, my best friend, my teacher, my rebel, my angel, my protector, my challenger, my partner, my muse, my wizard, my surprise, my gift, my comet, my liberator, my rock star, my completely impossible non-cooperator, my otherworldly visitor, my spiritual portal, and my baby. I loved you so much, Rayya. Thank you for letting me walk with you right to the edge of the river. It has been the greatest honor of my life. I would tell you to rest in peace, but I know that you always found peace boring. May you rest in excitement. I will always love you.
A post shared by Elizabeth Gilbert (@elizabeth_gilbert_writer) on Jan 4, 2018 at 6:57pm PST
“I loved you so much, Rayya,” she continued. “Thank you for letting me walk with you right to the edge of the river. It has been the greatest honor of my life. I would tell you to rest in peace, but I know that you always found peace boring. May you rest in excitement. I will always love you.”
Elias, a writer and songwriter, had been battling pancreatic and liver cancer, Gilbert announced in a Facebook post back in 2016.
Gilbert first revealed on Facebook in 2016 that she had left her husband Jose Nunes and detailed how she fell in love with Elias.
Bobby Bank/WireImage/Getty ImagesThe writer wrote about Nunes in her bestselling memoir, "Eat, Pray, Love," which was later turned into a 2010 movie starring Julia Roberts.
"In the moment I first learned of Rayya's diagnosis, a trap door opened at the bottom of my heart (a trap door I didn't even know was there) and my entire existence fell straight through that door," Gilbert wrote then in 2016. "From that moment forward, everything became about HER. I cancelled everything in my life that could be cancelled, and I went straight to her side, where I have been ever since."
In June 2017, the two held a "simple and spontaneous ceremony of love," Gilbert said on Instagram, noting that it wasn't legally binding.
Dear Ones: Over the last year, Rayya Elias and I have been through some really difficult days together — but not today. Today was precious and perfect. A simple and spontaneous ceremony of love, surrounded by a small handful of friends and family. Our ceremony was nothing legally binding (no need to alert the authorities, folks!)…just a quiet and private celebration of what we have long known to be true: We belong to each other. More difficult days are to come. It doesn't get easier from here. Her illness is grave. But our love is strong. We will walk together as far as we can go together. After that, it all gets turned over to God. Create beauty with every day you are given, Onward, LG (And thank you, @bindleandkeep, for putting a rush on @rayyaelias's suit, and for hand-delivering it yesterday. She looked beautiful. Thank you for the grace, the care, and the compassion. You are good people.)
A post shared by Elizabeth Gilbert (@elizabeth_gilbert_writer) on Jun 6, 2017 at 2:17pm PDT
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