More: Let's hope Mob Wives' Big Ang gets well soon

It was pretty early into Wednesday's new episode of Mob Wives when Twitter began to report that after months of dealing with metastatic cancer, Big Ang Raiola had died. At first, it seemed like just an unsubstantiated rumor, but it was soon confirmed by a family member to Entertainment Tonight. Devastated fans immediately took to Twitter to express their shock and sadness.

Big Ang passed away I'm so heartbroken I loved her

— Jocilyn (@RudeJoc) February 18, 2016

OMG my heart just stopped just seeing a post that Big Ang passed away....she was such a kind and… https://t.co/VvcyFaAMlu

— Follow the Phoenix (@kellyphoenix26) February 18, 2016

my girl Big Ang in the clouds

— BLACK MOTHER (@TYDRYN) February 18, 2016

Cant believe Big Ang passed away thats crazy cant belive it.... #ripbigang

— Mariliz Marrero (@mari_marr32) February 18, 2016

Cant believe Big Ang passed away thats crazy cant belive it.... #ripbigang

— Mariliz Marrero (@mari_marr32) February 18, 2016

Rip Big Ang i loved her so much she was the only reason i watched Mob Wives.

— Lee lee (@LiyahForeign) February 18, 2016

RIP Big Ang. Pretty jealous of the party Heaven is going to be having now that she's there. pic.twitter.com/2Ovc6XxXm6

— Alex Goldschmidt (@alexandergold) February 18, 2016

More: Mob Wives canceled after Season 6

Big Ang's death comes in the final season of Mob Wives and, coincidentally, when she's just been told by her doctor that her cancer is progressing and has begun processing the news with the other women on the show. On Wednesday's episode, she and husband Neil fought about money, as well as his lack of presence at things like doctor's appointments.

Ang has always been the one to encourage this group of women, who really enjoy threatening to physically harm one another, to come to the table with their issues and work them out. This season, she convened a sit-down, at the end of which, it seemed like everyone had dealt with themselves and decided that moving on would be best. Unfortunately, since then, things have gotten more out of control than ever — Marissa and Brittany are fighting, Drita continues to not be invited to events so that people can talk about her behind her back, and there are still plenty of threats and questioning of loyalties, particularly between Drita and Karen, who have been fighting more or less about the same thing since the beginning of the show. It's ironic, of course, because it's this kind of upheaval that Ang has been trying to smooth over and prevent more of, and here it is, flaring up again just when the group should be putting their differences aside to be there for their friend. Even before Wednesday's terrible announcement, it was getting uncomfortable to see people being so relentlessly cruel to each other when Ang was falling apart.

The season has already been recorded in its entirety, except for the reunion, so we'll definitely see how these animosities play out, but it will be hard to stomach them against the sad reality that the person who was looked to as a peacemaker and with such a generous heart has died.

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Are you devastated about Big Ang's death? Will you watch the rest of Mob Wives knowing that she's gone? Tell us in the comments!