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Vanessa Hudgens opens up about father's death: 'Until we meet again in heaven'

Just two months after Vanessa Hudgens lost her father, the actress is opening up about how she's coping — with the help of her mother.
/ Source: TODAY

Just two months after Vanessa Hudgens lost her father, the actress is opening up about how she's coping — with the help of her mother.

Vanessa Hudgens with her mom
"She's so strong through the hardest of times," Vanessa Hudgens said, describing the support offered by her mother, Gina.Jason Merritt / WireImage

"She's so strong through the hardest of times," Hudgens, 27, told People of her mom, Gina. "But she has this lightheartedness and this light that just beams out of her very being and it's so special. Life is about perspective. The way you choose to see your life is the way your life is going to become."

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The star did admit, though, that even with her mother's amazing support, the past couple of months have been difficult.

"There are highs and there are lows," she said. "It sucks, but death happens. It never makes it easier but it happens to all of us. It's just something we have to get through until we all meet again in heaven."

Hudgens lost her father, Greg, in January, and announced the news on Twitter just hours before she was set to perform in the TV musical "Grease:Live," writing: "Tonight I do the show in his honor." The actress and singer went on to draw acclaim from both critics and audiences for her grace under pressure playing beloved bad girl Rizzo.

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And in the spirit of moving forward, Hudgens made it clear that she's thankful for a mother who offers an amazing level of guidance.

"My mom looks out through such beautiful eyes," she said. "I've learned to follow her lead."