Executive Producer of CBS series, The Talk, Heather Gray, died at 50 years old, confirmed in a July 31 tweet. Although the cause of death wasn’t specified, CBS stated in a letter released that Gray was “bravely battling an unforgiving disease.”

“It is with heavy hearts to share the unexpected passing of our beloved Heather Gray. Heather has been the heart and soul of “The Talk” from day one. Her brilliance as an innovative producer was only outmatched by her huge smile and infectious laugh.”

The letter was distributed to staff members on behalf of CBS and was written as follows, “

Dear Talk Family, On behalf of all of us at CBS, we want to extend our deep condolences to you for the painful loss of our beloved Heather. She was an inspiration to us all, living and thriving while bravely battling an unforgiving disease. She showed us what true courage looks like.’

It began, “Heather has been the heart and soul of The Talk from day one. Her brilliance as an innovative producer was only outmatched by her huge smile and infectious laugh. She was an admired, beloved mama bear of your family and a leader that all looked up to.”

The letter continued to highlight how intrinsic Gray was to the show and the people that she worked with. 

“Her contributions to the success of the show are immeasurable, but more importantly, she was a boss that proved you can lead with kindness, caring and friendship. Heather was everyone’s friend, everyone’s champion, and everyone’s favorite person on the set. We will miss her terribly.” The CBS staff wrote. 

“We recognize and share the pain and shock you are feeling at this moment, as well as the grief you will feel in the days ahead. While the show is starting its hiatus as of August 1 (Monday), we do not want you to grieve and mourn alone. The set will be open, and HR will have staff and grief counseling available in person and by phone. HR support will be on site as well. We understand how difficult this will be for all of you and want you to all know that we are here for you.”

Members of the CBS staff signed the letter, listed as “George Cheeks (president and CEO of CBS), David Stapf (president of CBS Studios), Kelly Kahl (president of CBS Network Entertainment), Thom Sherman (senior EVP of programming, CBS Network Entertainment), Amy Reisenbach (EVP of current programs, CBS Network Entertainment) and Laurie Seidman (SVP of daytime programs, CBS Network Entertainment),” reported Variety. 

Gray was also the supervising producer of the Tyra Banks Show and had won numerous Daytime Emmys for outstanding talk show entertainment.