Sofia Coppola Says Late Mom Eleanor Taught Her 'How to Be Real and Strong' in Touching Tribute
The filmmaker also praised her mother for how she "taught me so much about beauty and art"
Evan Agostini/Getty
Sofia and Eleanor Coppola in New York City on March 30, 2004Sofia Coppola is speaking out about the lessons she learned from her late mother, Eleanor Coppola.
On Friday, April 19, Sofia shared a black-and-white throwback photo to Instagram of her mom holding a professional video camera and smiling.
"We said goodbye to our cool, great mom, Eleanor, who taught me so much about beauty and art and how to be real and strong in your own way," Sofia, 52, wrote in the caption of her late mother, a documentary filmmaker whose death was reported earlier this month by the Associated Press.
Among the celebrities who sent their well-wishes in the comments of Sofia's Instagram post were Kirsten Dunst, Elle Fanning, Christina Ricci, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cary Elwes, Cailee Spaeny, Paris Hilton, Patti Smith, Rashida Jones, Marc Jacobs, Christy Turlington and Selma Blair.
"Lucky to have had such a remarkable beautiful parent. So very sorry for your loss. ❤️," wrote Juliette Lewis, while Glenn Close said, "My deep sympathies. She will be in your dreams. ❤️"
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.
Eleanor died at her home in Rutherford, California, her family said in a statement to the AP on April 12. She was 87 years old.
Sofia did not attend the New York Film Festival last fall for the screening of her film Priscilla, in order to spend time with her mom.
"I'm so sorry to not be there with you, but I'm with my mother, to whom this film is dedicated," the writer-director wrote in a statement read by producer Youree Henley on Oct. 6, 2023.
Eleanor (née Neil) was best known for directing the Emmy-winning 1991 documentary Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, which follows her husband of 60 years, Francis Ford Coppola, making his 1979 war drama Apocalypse Now.
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Eleanor and Francis Ford Coppola in Los Angeles on Feb. 22, 2022Related: The Coppola Family: All About the Film Dynasty Including Sofia Coppola and Nicolas Cage
Francis, 85, shared a photo of his late wife to Instagram four days after their family confirmed her death. The beautiful snapshot showed Eleanor, who was also a writer, smiling over a bouquet of flowers in an outdoor setting.
Eleanor is survived by husband Francis, daughter Sofia, son Roman Coppola and three granddaughters, including Sofia’s two children Romy, 17, and Cosima, 13, whom she shares with husband Thomas Mars.
She is also survived by late son Gian-Carlo Coppola’s daughter Gia Coppola, 37, who was born after her father's untimely death at age 22 in a 1986 boating accident.
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.
