Eva Mendes got emotional on social media as she shared a poignant post in honor of her late brother Carlos Mendez.
The Hitch actress, 51, opened up about her brother on Instagram Monday as his birthday was in a matter of days.
Mendes’ older brother Carlos died on April 17, 2016, just two weeks after he turned 53, from cancer.
She shared a few selfies as she walked through the woods as she began the caption: ‘My brother would’ve had a birthday this April 2.
‘He pᴀssed almost 9 years ago. Then, less than 2 weeks later I gave birth to our second baby. [heart emoji] ‘
The partner of Ryan Gosling was referring to their daughter Amada, eight, as she continued the tribute saying that she finds herself searching for signs from her late brother as his big day approaches.
Eva Mendes shared a poignant post in honor of her late brother Carlos Mendes
Mendes’ older brother Carlos died on April 17, 2016, just two weeks after he turned 53, from cancer
She continued: ‘When his birthday nears, I start to look for signs that could be him. Of course, this can all be in my head, but I rather not believe that. It’s not as beautiful.
‘So, here I am, starting to see hearts everywhere and feeling him a little extra right now. More to come, I’m sure.’
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Eva’s younger brother Carlo Mendes, 47, commented on her post, writing: ‘I miss him so much.’
The Training Day actress reflected on the timing of her brother’s death and Amada’s April 29th birthday, saying it is a ‘tough’ situation.
‘It’s so tough,’ she told People in November 2019. ‘Thank God I had my baby; it was a week after he pᴀssed. So there was something to move forward. There was poetry to it all.’
She expressed that one of her ‘favorite memories’ with her brother was spending time together during the holidays.
‘My favorite memories are when he used to, at Thanksgiving or a big dinner or Christmas dinner, roast everybody — but roast you hard.
‘Of course, I miss him incredibly, and that’s an understatement, but I’m holding on to that tradition,’ Mendes said.
‘I’m so happy that he gave me that,’ she continued. ‘I don’t think I could carry it on the way he did, but those are some fun memories because he would really get raw.’
The Hitch actress, 51, shared a few selfies as she walked through the woods. ‘My brother would’ve had a birthday this April 2,’ her caption began
‘He pᴀssed almost 9 years ago. Then, less than 2 weeks later I gave birth to our second baby. ❤️, ‘ she said referring to daughter Amada, eight
She continued, ‘When his birthday nears, I start to look for signs that could be him. Of course, this can all be in my head, but I rather not believe that. It’s not as beautiful’
Mendes and her significant other Ryan Gosling welcomed their first daughter, Esmeralda, now 10, in September 2014, and their second daughter, Amada, eight, in April 2016.
Last fall she revealed that they don’t let their daughters have social media or smartphones.
‘Putting my kid on the internet and being like, “Oh, search something,” that to me is equivalent to telling her, “Oh, just go down the street in the middle of the night. You’ll be fine,”‘ Mendes revealed in an interview with The Times.
‘I know that sounds extreme, but that’s what I feel,’ the actress added.
Mendes (born Eva de la Caridad Méndez) would also share about how she and Gosling try to educate their kids on their privileged life, compared to most people in the world, by telling them stories of how they grew up with little money.
‘I explain to them what I didn’t have, what Ryan didn’t have when he was little, how hard we had to fight, the dark days of being paycheck to paycheck, and this and that, but they’ll never really know unless they experience that,’ the Miami, Florida native explained.
After going through bouts of anxiety in her lifetime, Mendes tries to instill self-esteem into their lives by giving them tasks to do around the house to build their confidence.
‘I still have all this anxiety and I see myself pᴀssing it on to my children,’ Mendes said, before admitting she herself was a ‘good kid’ growing up in Miami, which she credits to her late brother Carlos.
‘So, here I am, starting to see hearts everywhere and feeling him a little extra right now. More to come, I’m sure’
‘He’d say, “If I ever see you out there with a guy or smoking, I’ll f**king kick his ᴀss and take you to school every day,”‘ she recalled. ‘By sheer fear I was a good kid.’
During the interview, the retired actress credited Gosling with making her feel ‘Sєxy’ in her 50s.
‘I feel really f**king Sєxy at times,’ she gushed. ‘The way my man looks at me is just … at times I’m like, oh my God. That might not sit well with people, but so much of how I feel is a reflection of what he’s giving me.’
The H๏τ and heavy couple first met in August 2011 after they both signed on to star in the epic crime drama The Place Beyond The Pines.
The new couple wasted little time and started dating during the shoot of the film.
The couple went public with their relationship when they went to Disneyland together, and were seen holding hands and walking closely.
Eventually, the couple made their red carpet debut at the Toronto International Film Festival to promote The Place Beyond The Pines in September 2012.