Who was Preta Gil? How did ‘Prêt-à-Porter’ fame Brazilian singer die at 50
Preta Gil, Brazilian singer and songwriter, passed away at 50 from cancer on July 20. The daughter of Gilberto Gil, she launched her music career with her first album in 2003. Find out more details about her here.
Brazilian singer Preta Gil passed away at the age of 50 on July 20, Quem reported. The businesswoman and songwriter died due to rectal cancer and was undergoing treatment in the US at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
After its first diagnosis in January 2023, Prêt-à-Porter singer went into remission in the same year. However, the fatal cancer made a comeback in August 2024 impacting four areas of her body, including a metastasis in the peritoneum, two lymph nodes and a nodule in the ureter, the news outlet added. For advanced treatment, she moved to the US in May 2025.
All you need to know about was Preta Gil
Daughter of Brazilian singer-songwriter and politician, Gilberto Gil, she was the fourth child among his eight children. Preta Gil was Gal Costa's goddaughter and used to call Brazilian composer Caetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso ‘uncle,’ the publication noted.
Daughter of former Minister of Culture, she grew up playing with kids of other music legends. Aspiring to be an artist from an early age, Preta launched her first album titled Prêt-à-Porter in 2003. She also forayed into the marketing industry and successfully launched a company. Preta Gil's other albums include Preta (2005), Sou Como Sou (2012), and Todas as Cores (2017).
She married actor Otavio Muller in 1994 and gave birth to a son but their relationship turned sour and they parted ways in 1995. She later tied the knot with Rodrigo Godoy in 2015 but this marriage also didn't last long. She separated from him in 2023.
Known for blending pop, axé, and MPB in her music, she was open about her sexuality and was declared herself as pansexual. A vocal advocate for women's rights, racial equality, LGBTQ+ rights, and body positivity, she also appeared in several Brazilian TV shows and soap operas, like Caminhos do Coraçã (2007), Os Mutantes (2008), Ó Pai Ó (2008), Cheias de Charme (2012) and Pé na Cova (2013).