Brazilian singer and entrepreneur Preta Gil died on Sunday, 20 July, in New York at the age of 50 while undergoing an experimental treatment for intestinal cancer, her family announced. The daughter of music icon Gilberto Gil had arrived in the United States in May to join an immunotherapy trial after conventional therapies ceased to be effective. Preta Gil was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in January 2023 and had alternated chemotherapy and surgery in Brazil before seeking the new protocol at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the Virginia Cancer Institute. Family members, including step-mother Flora Gil, said earlier this month that the study would be reviewed in August to gauge its efficacy. In a note posted on social media, Gilberto Gil thanked friends and fans "while we navigate this difficult moment" and said he is arranging to repatriate his daughter’s body. According to relatives, the singer had requested a wake in Rio de Janeiro and burial in the state of Bahia, where she was born. Vice-President Geraldo Alckmin and Ministers Anielle Franco and Margareth Menezes joined performers such as Ivete Sangalo and Xuxa in paying tribute to Gil, who built a two-decade career spanning music, television and business. Admirers highlighted her advocacy for body positivity and LGBTQ+ rights, calling her a pioneering voice in Brazilian popular culture.