Vanessa Williams to Miss Devil Wears Prada Performances After Death of Beloved Mom

Vanessa Williams is taking time off from her Devil Wears Prada performances in London following the death of her mother, Helen Louise Williams.

Vanessa, 61, and her family wrote that Helen died on Dec. 28 of complications of acute liver failure, per the obituary obtained by PEOPLE on Thursday, Jan. 2. She was 85.

The actress, who is currently portraying Miranda Priestly in the West End musical adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada, will take a brief break from work before returning on Thursday, Jan. 16, the show announced on Instagram on Friday, Jan. 3. Debbie Kurup will play the role of Miranda Priestly during Williams’ absence.

The Ugly Betty star reposted the show’s statement to her Instagram Stories.

Williams’ mother, a music teacher, traveled overseas for the Sunday, Dec. 1 opening night of The Devil Wears Prada.

The trip was arranged “to celebrate her 85th birthday party surrounded by 150 of her family and friends,” the obituary said. “During her visit she suffered a major decline in health which ended her life.”

Helen was born on Dec. 8, 1939, in Buffalo, N.Y., and became the youngest Black student at the State University of New York at Fredonia when she was 16. She worked as a music teacher for over 40 years in the Ossining and Manhattanville School Districts and was a professor at Manhattanville College. She retired in 1996.

Following Helen’s death, several people have posted tributes, including Sasha Fox, Williams’ daughter with former NBA player Rick Fox.

“On December 28th, the world lost a powerhouse, dynamo and force of nature packed into a 5ft frame. Our mom, Helen Williams, aka Gaga to many, took her final bow in London 20 days after celebrating her 85th birthday surrounded by family and friends,” Williams wrote in a Jan. 2 tribute. “It’s impossible to describe all she meant to everyone because each person saw a different facet of her. Loyal friend to many, icy stares to a chosen few. We will miss it all.”

Fox posted an Instagram carousel of photos of her grandmother from different periods in her life. “RIP Gaga,” she simply captioned the post.

The 24-year-old included several images of Helen, from her elementary school days to a higher education graduation. She added moments of Helen as a young girl behind the piano, as well as photos of her holding infant Williams in her arms. Sasha also included photos of her grandmother and late grandfather, Milton Augustine Williams Jr., on their wedding day and in their home.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Helen is also survived by her son, Chris, and Williams’ three older children, Melanie, 37, Jillian, 35, and Devin, 31, whom Vanessa shares with her first husband, Ramon Hervey II.