Tracey Ullman is in mourning. The comedian’s mother, Doreen Skinner, tragically died in a house fire on Monday, Mar. 23, Daily Mail reports. She was 85.
According to the site, Skinner passed away at her ground-level retirement flat in Holtspur, Buckinghamshire. The fire was caused by a “careless disposal” of a cigarette in her bedroom.
“Tracey and her family are deeply saddened by the death of her mother, Doreen,” a spokesman for the star said in a statement Saturday. “The family would like to thank everyone for the kind messages they have received and ask that their privacy be respected at this difficult time.”
Ullman, 55, reportedly visited the damaged home on Thursday. “The fire started in the middle of the night and the poor lady died,” one neighbor said. “We are all very shocked.”
The Into the Woods star and Emmy-winning producer has had a rough couple of years. Her husband Allan McKeown died from prostate cancer at age 67 on Christmas Eve in December 2013, just days before what would have been their 30th wedding anniversary.
