Jennifer Love Hewitt recalls heartbreaking loss of her mom with moving statement

9-1-1 star Jennifer Love Hewitt has paid tribute to her beloved late mother, 13 years after her passing.

The actress took to social media to share a series of gorgeous throwback pictures of her with her mom over the years, and in the caption admitted that her death “still feels like it’s new”.

“13 years ago I lost you,” wrote the mother-of-three. “Yet in this very special place in my heart on every anniversary it still feels like it’s new. It hits me. Sometimes [it] feels like anxiety or other times just an ache but I feel it every year. You were that special. You are that special.”

Jennifer continued: “I remember knowing as a kid if I lost you, my life wouldn’t be the same. I was right.”

© Jennifer Love Hewitt

She went on to thank her mom “for watching over me and my little family,” and “for keeping bubba safe and showing up for me in small and big ways when I need you”.

“The legacy she left behind in you must make her so proud. Love you so much,” commented close friend and GMA anchor Gio Benitez,  while Amanda Kloots added: “I’m sending you so much love. I loved learning about your magical mama in your book! You are keeping her alive with the magic you bring everyday!”

The Client List actress has credited her own children for helping her through her grief following the death of her mom, Patricia Hewitt, in 2012, which she detailed in her 2024 memoir,  Inheriting Magic: My Journey Through Grief, Joy, Celebration, and Making Every Day Magical.

Jennifer had kept the identities of daughter Autumn James, 11, and sons Atticus James, eight, and Aidan James, three, private until she made the decision to put them on the cover.

© Penguin House

But the decision to reveal her children to the public still weighed heavily on Jennifer and her husband.

“It was the most stressful decision to show our kids or not show them,” she told E! News. “But my husband and I felt like we couldn’t really tell our story without knowing who they are and how they have made our lives so full and magical.”

“My kids also saved me [from] grief,” she explained. “They are gifts from my mom and have filled our hearts in such an incredible way. This book is for them!”