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Home • Celebrity

Fan Battling Cancer Dies Days After Meeting Beyoncé

Ebony Banks, a high school student at Alief Hastings High School, passed away Sunday, days after her dream to meet the Lemonade singer came true.
Fan Battling Cancer Dies Days After Meeting Beyoncé
Twitter/@Bey_Legion
By Sydney Scott · Updated October 26, 2020
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Ebony Banks, the teen Beyoncé fan whose wish to meet the Grammy-winning singer came true, has passed away after battling a rare stage four cancer.

It was just a few days ago that Beyoncé facetimed Banks as part of the Alief Hastings High School senior’s early graduation gift and ceremony set up by the school district, friends, and family. 

Beyoncé facetiming with Ebony, a fan with a rare cancer disease whose last wish was to see Beyoncé. ❤️️💙 pic.twitter.com/OUVJaLUNJo

— BEYONCÉ LEGION 𐚁 (@BeyLegion) March 22, 2017

Classmates, who affectionately referred to the late teen as Ebob, were able to get the singer’s attention by creating #EbobMeetsBeyonce, a hashtag that went viral. 

Senior Shanya McKnight previouly told KHOU, “We just decided she should, you know, meet Beyoncé. We started this hashtag to see how far we could get.”

Sunday night, students held a vigil for Banks, playing Beyoncé’s “Halo” as they remembered the senior. 

@AliefHastingsHS Band & color guard students tribute to Ebony w her favorite singer - Beyoncé pic.twitter.com/57ida3fCAo

— Alief ISD (@AliefISD) March 27, 2017

Our thoughts are with Banks’ family, friends, and peers.