Preta Gil spent her life assuming the role of 'flag bearer'; remember the singer's memorable phrases
Summary Preta Gil, singer and activist, passed away this Sunday, July 20, 2025, leaving a legacy of fighting against prejudice, body acceptance and empowerment, using her life as a flag in favor of various causes.
Preta Gil never let her voice be silenced—or silenced. Whether fighting prejudice or exposing her own personal experiences, the singer remained faithful to her commitment to making her life a banner in itself. She herself took this stance, which can be seen as a legacy of the singer, who died this Sunday, the 20th, after living with bowel cancer for more than two years .
It was Gilberto Gil, her father, who said that Preta was "the flag itself." "By defending my existence as a fat, bisexual, Black woman, all those years ago, when none of these issues were even on the agenda yet, I put my body at that service," the singer said in an interview with Marie Claire in 2023, the year she discovered her illness. She soon added that from then on she would be a powerful voice for healing.
Preta adopted the same stance of not hiding from the spotlight when everything seemed to be falling apart. The singer exposed her separation from ex-husband Rodrigo Godoy , who cheated on her while she was battling cancer, to highlight the strength of women.
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Preta Gil died at the age of 50
Photo: Tiago Queiroz / ESTADÃO CONTENT -
With Cordão da Bola Preta, the singer carried revelers at carnival
Photo: Fabio Motta / ESTADÃO CONTENT -
Black woman at the launch of her book
Photo: Tiago Queiroz / ESTADÃO CONTENT -
Preta Gil receives tribute from Ludmilla at Rio de Janeiro's carnival.
Photo: @pretagil via Instagram / Estadão -
Ivete Sangalo pays tribute to Preta Gil, who is moved by the carnival in Salvador
Photo: Vitor Santos/AgNews -
Preta Gil on The Masked Singer
Photo: Mauricio Fidalgo / Globo -
Preta Gil alongside Ivete Sangalo in Criança Esperança
Photo: Léo Rosário / Globo -
Preta Gil during the Video Game
Photo: Globo -
Black woman next to her friend Carolina Dieckmann
Photo: Globo -
Preta Gil in an interview with Fantástico
Photo: Globo/ Disclosure -
Preta Gil in action on stage
Photo: Wagner Origenes / ATO PRESS/ESTADÃO CONTENT
Empowerment, in fact, has always been an active verb in Preta's dictionary—perhaps not exactly in her vocabulary, but definitely in her actions. She didn't hide the scars on her body, quite the opposite, and made a point of showing her routine with the colostomy bag .
From cancer diagnosis to treatment in the US: understand the situation that led to Preta Gil's death:
Relive some of Preta Gil's most memorable quotes on various topics:
About body acceptance
"I've always enjoyed showing my body, but at first, it was very exposed. I saw my body being attacked early in my career. And it was from then on that I understood that my body is political... By defending myself, I was defending the existence of my body and the existence of other women's bodies." - to Marie Claire magazine
"Yes, I use an ileostomy bag and I'm not ashamed to show it, because this little bag saved my life and gave me the chance to recover from surgery that removed the tumor I had! I know it's not easy, but believe me: I'm grateful!" - in a post on social media.
About relationships
“We place a lot of expectations on romantic love, but our loves are our friends.” - to Quem magazine.
“I hope you heal from those who never acknowledged that they hurt you” - in a post on social media.
About grief and loss
"It's a reality that finitude may come to me sooner. I've always been very afraid of dying, but I'm not anymore. Deep down, I know that death won't come now. But I'm prepared" - to Marie Claire magazine.
"Little by little, the understanding of loss takes shape. Little by little, we grow stronger in the power of our own existence. I am grateful for life and for what it allows me to experience, even though it hurts a lot sometimes" - in a post on social media.
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