Vivian Ayers, the mother of Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad, has died at the age of 102. Allen shared a heartfelt post about her mother’s demise on August 21, 2025, which included a collage of photos with her family. She wrote in the caption:

Vivian Ayers, a Pulitzer-nominated poet and mother to Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad, has died at 102. 'We will follow your trail of golden dust,' family says.

News of the Pulitzer Prize-nominated poet’s death arrives two years after her family marked her milestone 100th birthday in August.