Jeralyn "Jeri" Wirtz, one half of the popular social media account "Jeri and Mike," has died of breast cancer.
Jeri Wirtz and her husband, Mike Wirtz, charmed the internet with their nearly 50-year interracial love story. Their Instagram account, which boasts over 360,000 followers, announced that she died at age 74 on Dec. 6 at home, surrounded by family.
"We are devastated and know this news will be shocking to many of you who loved her and followed her journey on social media throughout the years," the announcement read.
It added that Jeri Wirtz "openly shared her battle with stage 4 breast cancer for the past 9 years."
"Through every challenge, she showed incredible strength, grace, and that beautiful smile so many of you adored," it said.
A month ago, Jeri Wirtz "experienced a significant decline in her health" and was admitted into a hospital where she had "hopes of improving," the announcement explained.
"Sadly, that wasn’t the case, and she began in-home hospice care last week. Although we prayed for more time, we were blessed with four precious days."
“On her final day, she was surrounded by lifelong friends and family as she watched her children and grandchildren decorate the Christmas tree with her favorite music playing. We watched the sunset together one last time, and we are forever grateful to have shared those moments with her before she transitioned
"Without Jeri, the world doesn’t shine as bright. We will continue to honor her life and the beautiful legacy she leaves behind — as a wife, mother, sister, friend, artist, and the extraordinary person she was. Our world will never be the same without her," the announcement concluded.
Jeri Wirtz was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017, according to a November 2024 post on Instagram, where she called her journey with the illness "very challenging."
The video featured footage of the Wirtzes embracing, with a voiceover from Mike Wirtz calling his wife a "fighter" who is "always optimistic."
The couple filmed the video to encourage genetic testing for breast cancer.
Jeri Wirtz, who was Black, and Mike Wirtz, who is white, became internet sensations in 2020 when they began posting about their love story on TikTok as a way to connect with family during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sparks flew when the couple met in 1976 with neither of them having any hesitation about their different races.
“Maybe I was naive, but I didn’t think anything of that,” Mike Wirtz told TODAY.com in 2024. “I thought, ‘I like this girl, and she’s very attractive and I’m interested in her,’ and so we just started dating. Obviously, I realized it was an interracial type of situation. I didn’t feel overwhelmed by it, though, because I think one thing that helped was eventually when she met my parents, they welcomed her with open arms, and her family was the same way with me.”
Jeri Wirtz agreed: “We knew that prejudice was out there and people would probably be looking at us but we didn’t look for that. We didn’t, you know, engage in it.”
The couple tied the knot in 1977 and welcomed two children, Nicole and Ryan.
When Jeri Wirtz was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017, the couple faced the news together. And they did the same when when Mike Wirtz was diagnosed with prostate cancer three years later.
“I give her all the credit in the world because I don’t know if it was me if I would be as determined as she is to just keep pressing forward,” Mike Wirtz said. “She goes through a lot. Anybody who’s gone through a serious battle with cancer knows what she’s gone through. And it’s it’s not easy.”
The couple told TODAY.com they were enjoying retirement and spending time with their children and grandchildren.
As for their internet fame, Jeri Wirtz said she got a kick out of it.
“I like it. I love it. I think it’s fun," she said. “I get to tease my younger friends that are working on becoming influencers and don’t have a lot of followers. I’m like, ‘I’m 72 years old and I’m a ‘YouTuber’ or an ‘influencer.’ It’s fun and funny for us.”
Stage 4 breast cancer, also called metastatic, occurs when the cancer has spread from the breast to other parts of the body, such as the bones, lungs, liver or brain, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. About 30% of women diagnosed with early stage breast cancer go on to develop metastatic disease. An estimated 32% of people with Stage 4 breast cancer are still alive more than five years after their diagnosis, according to the American Cancer Society.
