They had imagined a very different ending to Nicole’s cancer journey.

“We thought she’d be here sharing her story of earthly healing. Instead, we’re sharing her story of heavenly healing and she’s at peace and no longer suffering, so we’re thankful for that.”

The sisters admitted they were still trying to process what had happened and described themselves as shocked and heartbroken.

Nicole was the oldest of the identical triplets, arriving just ahead of Natalie and Nika. But to her sisters, being the oldest meant far more than a difference of only a few minutes.

She was the one they looked to.

Their leader.

Their defender.

And, most importantly, their best friend.

In a tribute posted on Taylor Red’s official website, Natalie and Nika wrote:

“Nicole, the oldest of us three sisters, will be greatly missed. She was our leader and our best friend. We are heartbroken, but we know she is in Heaven and will see her again.”

The sisters also remembered Nicole as someone who rarely hesitated to speak up when she believed something was wrong.

“She was always the one who would speak on behalf of us.”

They said her Christian faith was central to the way she approached both life and her illness.

“She was the first to give her life to Christ. She would always speak up for what’s right.”

Nicole, Natalie, and Nika grew up in Mississippi and spent much of their lives making music together.

Originally performing as Red Roots before later becoming Taylor Red, the identical red-haired sisters developed a devoted audience through their country music and online videos.

Songs including “Country Money” helped introduce them to a wider audience, while their social-media presence eventually grew into the millions. Current reports place their YouTube following at more than 16 million and their TikTok audience at more than 13 million.

But behind the success, Nicole had quietly been facing an increasingly serious health battle.

Her cancer journey began in 2022.

According to her sisters, Nicole received the results of a biopsy during a phone call from a nurse.

Natalie remembered the moment becoming frightening almost immediately.

“The nurse was like, ‘Do you have any family with you?’ And so we kind of knew where the conversation was headed.”

The sisters were together when the diagnosis came.

Natalie recalled being overwhelmed.

“I just remember breaking down in absolute shock.”

She said the family had always been fortunate when it came to their health, making Nicole’s diagnosis especially difficult to process.

Nicole, however, responded differently.

According to her sisters, one of her earliest reactions was rooted in her faith.

“God’s going to use this for his glory.”

Doctors determined that Nicole had stage three breast cancer, which her sisters described as aggressive.

Even then, she tried to remain hopeful.

Her sisters said she approached treatment with remarkable determination and continued believing she would make it through the disease. Reports about their tribute say Nicole even continued demanding exercise routines such as CrossFit during parts of her treatment.

For a period, the news was encouraging.

Treatment appeared to be working.

At one point, her sisters said there was no evidence of disease.

It seemed possible that the nightmare might finally be ending.

Then the cancer returned.

This time, it had progressed to stage four.

The family again entered an uncertain period filled with treatment, serious medical decisions, and hope.

Nicole underwent a major operation and resumed treatment afterward.

Natalie and Nika later described that chapter as particularly frightening.

Despite everything, they said Nicole continued to face her illness with the same faith and determination that had characterized her from the beginning.

Her battle ultimately came to an end on September 28.

Nicole was 35.

For fans who had followed Taylor Red online for years, the announcement came as a shock, particularly because her sisters waited until November before publicly revealing her death.

By then, the family had already held a private funeral.

A memorial page was also established for those wishing to donate in Nicole’s honor to causes that were important to her.

The response from fans has been filled with grief and memories of the three sisters together.

For many followers, Nicole, Natalie, and Nika had always seemed almost inseparable.

They performed together.

Created videos together.

Traveled together.

And built their careers as three sisters whose relationship was inseparable from their music.

That makes Nicole’s absence especially difficult for those closest to her.

Natalie and Nika made clear that no collection of career highlights could fully explain who their sister was to them.

She was not simply one-third of Taylor Red.

She was family.

Their fearless leader.

The sister who spoke first.

The person who stood beside them.

And the friend they expected to have with them for many more years.

Now, the surviving sisters are attempting to move forward while honoring the person who had been part of their lives from the very beginning.

Their tribute was filled with heartbreak, but also with the faith Nicole carried throughout her illness.

They believe she is no longer suffering.

And while her death has left an enormous absence in both their family and Taylor Red, they have made clear that Nicole’s influence will remain part of everything they do.

For the millions of fans who watched the three sisters grow their career together, Nicole Taylor will be remembered not only for the music and videos she helped create, but also for the courage, faith, and loyalty her sisters say defined her life.

She was only 35.

But to Natalie and Nika, she had already spent a lifetime being exactly what they called her in their farewell:

Their leader.

Their best friend.

And their sister.