Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel were dealt a devastating blow last year when the singer's longtime backup singer, Nicole Hurst, tragically died. 

It's been one year since the couple shared their upset at the heartbreaking news which sparked an overwhelming response from his fans. 

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At the time, he posted photos and videos of the young vocalist, and wrote: "My heart is so heavy. We lost a beautiful soul this week. Nicole lit up every room she walked into.

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"On and off the stage she was a constant source of joy and positivity. Some things feel so unfair and we will never understand why they happen. What I do know is that we were blessed to laugh with her, to travel with her, and to experience her infectious smile and love for a life filled with music. 

"Nicole, it's not enough to say that I am going to miss you dearly. Thank you for your light. I will do my best to carry that with me. I love you, my sister. Forever family and forever a TN Kid."

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Justin's social media followers inundated him with praying hand emojis and kind words. One wrote: "It's not fair so I celebrate her light and positivity," while another wrote: "She was an angel for real was so kind," and another added: "Man, I'm going to miss her so much."

Nicole's parents paid tribute to their daughter on the first anniversary of her death 

The father-of-two didn't elaborate on her sad death, but Nicole, herself, opened up about her cancer diagnosis previously. 

She had a lengthy battle with breast cancer and in August 2019 she revealed it had come back after remission and devastatingly spread to her brain. 

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On the anniversary of Nicole's death on 7 August, her parents posted a lengthy tribute to her on Instagram which, in part, read: "A year has already gone by that our precious daughter, Nikki (known to most as Nicole), passed away from breast cancer.  

Justin called Nicole his 'sister'

"It’s still so hard to believe that she is no longer with us. Our lives are forever changed. We miss her so much every single day. The grief of losing her has not gotten easier and we doubt it ever will. 

"Her smile and her voice are now only a memory. Although God called her early to be one of his angels, but we are so grateful he gave us almost 39 years together. All of those memories with her we hold close to our hearts.  We will cherish them forever until we meet her again."

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