Mexican Woman Believed To Have Inspired Disney-Pixar's Mama Coco Dies At 109

Maria Salud Ramirez Caballero, the woman believed to have inspired the character of Mama Coco in the Disney film "Coco" has died at the age of 109.

Michoacan's secretary of tourism, Roberto Monroy confirmed in a tweet that Caballero died in her hometown in Santa Fe De La Laguna in Western Mexico on Sunday. "I deeply regret the death of Doña Maria Salud Ramirez Caballero, 'Mama Coco,' a tireless woman and example of life, who was the inspiration for this beloved character who went around the world," he wrote.

Following the news of her death, fans of "Coco" immediately mourned her passing on Twitter. "I have been crying all morning. BTS are enlisted in the army and won't come back until 2025. I just found out that MAMA COCO JUST DIED THIS MORNING. I'm going to watch Coco tonight," one Twitter user wrote.

"Woke up to find out the real mama coco died," another tweeted before adding a series of crying emojis.

"Coco" centers around a 12-year-old boy named Miguel, who finds himself in the magical and colorful Land of the Dead after strumming his ancestor's guitar. There he meets his deceased great-great grandfather, the long-lost husband of Mama Coco, his great-great-grandmother.

The film, which focuses on Mexico's Day of the Dead traditions, features the voice of Latina actress Ana Ofelia Murguia as Mama Coco, as well as Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt, Edward James Olmos, Anthony Gonzalez, and Alanna Ubach.

Since the release of the film in 2017, Caballero's family has been working to have Disney recognize that Mama Coco was based on their mother, a Mexican ceramic potter. While Disney has never confirmed whether Caballero, a ceramic potter with three children in Santa Fe De La Laguna, was the inspiration for the character, the similarities in appearance are glaring. The studio also previously explained that they had spoken with numerous families in the area of Caballero during the filming process.

"Coco" broke records during its release in Mexico and is known as the No. 1 film of all time in the country. The film also bagged several awards during the 2018 Oscars, including Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song.