María Salud Ramírez Caballero — the woman who allegedly inspired the character of Mamá Coco in the Disney film “Coco” — has died at age 109.
Caballero passed away in Santa Fe de la Laguna on Oct. 16 in Michoacán, Western Mexico — where she was born over a century ago.
She was reportedly known as Mamá Coco in the area, and although it was never officially confirmed by Disney, many believe she was the model for the beloved grandmother character in the film.
Her death was confirmed by Secretary of Tourism for Michoacán Roberto Monroy, who tweeted the news on Sunday, describing her as a “tireless woman and life model.”
“I deeply regret the death of Doña María Salud Ramírez Caballero, ‘Mamá Coco,’ a tireless woman and example of life, who was the inspiration for this beloved character who went around the world,” he wrote in a tweet, which was translated from Spanish.
Disney hasn’t acknowledged Caballero as the inspiration for the character, but her family claims a team from Pixar visited their town and even lived with them for a period of time, as reported by TMZ.
“Coco,” released in 2017, is an Oscar-winning animated film centered around Mexico’s Day of the Dead traditions.
Actress Ana Ofelia Murguía voiced Mamá Coco.
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