Vanessa Hudgens announces father's death; performs 'Grease: Live' in his honor

 By 
Sarah Spigelman Richter
 on 
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Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Just hours before her starring turn as Rizzo in Fox's Grease: Live Vanessa Hudgens announced on Twitter that her father passed away Saturday night after a battle with cancer.

I am so sad to say that last night my daddy, Greg passed away from stage 4 cancer. Thank you to everyone who kept him in your prayers.— Vanessa Hudgens (@VanessaHudgens) January 31, 2016

Hudgens still planned to perform the show alongside contemporaries including Julianne Hough and Aaron Tveit. She tweeted:

Tonight, I do the show in his honor.— Vanessa Hudgens (@VanessaHudgens) January 31, 2016

Hudgens' long-time friend from High School Musical days, Ashley Tisdale, tweeted (presumably in reference to Hudgens):

I am devastated. Just thinking of my girl and praying for her strength today.— AshleyTisdaleFrench (@ashleytisdale) January 31, 2016

Hudgens had revealed in August, while accepting an award at the 2015 Industry Dance Awards, that her father was battling stage four cancer.

Grease: Live aired Jan. 31 on Fox.

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