Advertisement

arts entertainmentPop Culture

Houston teen dies of cancer days after Beyonce granted her wish to talk on FaceTime

The teen's friends said the call was Ebony's final wish. She died late Saturday night, an Alief ISD spokeswoman told the Associated Press.

Ebony Banks spent most of her senior year of high school at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston fighting a terminal illness. Last week, she got a FaceTime call from a celebrity well-wisher -- her idol, Beyonce.

"I love you," the pop star told Ebony.

The teen's friends said the call was Ebony's final wish. She died late Saturday night, an Alief ISD spokeswoman told the Associated Press.

Advertisement

Her friends from color guard and other students at Alief Hastings High School gathered Sunday night for a candlelight vigil. They swayed to Beyonce's song "Halo."

News Roundups

Catch up on the day's news you need to know.

Or with:

Advertisement

Ebony's nickname was EBOB. Her friends drew Beyonce's attention through a social media campaign that used the hashtag #ebobmeetsbeyonce, KTRK-TV reported.

The teen shared part of her phone call with Beyonce online.

"I love you, Beyonce!" Ebony told her on Wednesday.

Advertisement

Alief ISD hosted a graduation ceremony for Ebony at the hospital earlier this month.

"I've seen her handle all kinds of adversity and she always does it with a smile on her face," Paul Brandt, director of bands, told KTRK.