Fan Battling Cancer Dies Days After Meeting Beyoncé

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. 

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. 

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