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Taraji P. Henson in mourning for her dog Uncle Willie

Written by . Published: October 06 2017

Taraji P. Henson is in mourning for her beloved pet of 16 years.

The Empire star shared a photo of herself with her Yorkshire Terrier on social media Thursday evening (05Oct17), alerting her followers on Instagram to the sad news that he had passed away.


“Although I understand NOTHING lasts forever the pain is still very real," she wrote in the post, which featured a photo of the star's pooch in happier times. "#RipUncleWillie He made it 16 long years. He truly was #BenjaminButton I will miss you soooooooooo much!!!,” she added, referring to the 2008 Brad Pitt film in which she starred.

As well as her own post, the 47-year-old actress regrammed several more photos of herself with Uncle Willie, including one from a fan who identified with the pain Taraji is feeling, dealing with the loss of a pet.

“Ppl might think losing your pet is something so simple,” the post read. “But it isn’t they become apart of your family. They make us smile when we are down and than when there gone (sic) we miss them the most. @tarajiphenson I’m soo sorry and I hope you find peace in this time," to which Taraji responded, “Thank you.”

The Oscar-nominated actress isn’t the only celebrity grieving the loss of a pet - Blade Runner 2049 actor Ryan Gosling has confirmed his beloved dog George died last December.

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