Ayda Field has been flooded with support as she shared a devastating announcement online. The 46-year-old, who has been married to Robbie Williams since 2010, opened up about the death of her close friend, Jason Collins, who recently passed away following a battle with brain cancer. The former professional basketball player, who was the first man on an American professional team sport to come out as gay, announced last year that he was undergoing treatment to stop the inoperable disease from spreading.

On Tuesday, Jason's family announced he had died aged 47. Taking to Instagram with a tribute, Ayda wrote: "My incredible friend, Jason Collins, has passed away. Where do I begin? How do you say goodbye to a best friend when you are not ready to? What happens when a beautiful life is gone too soon, and you still have so much more you want to share with them?

"Jason Collins…. you have been, and will always be, one of my best friends. From the moment you came into my life, you became my kin, my tribe. When I think back on the happiest memories of high school, every single one involves Jason and his twin brother, Jarron.

"They are my happy place; a place in my heart that is untouchable. Whether it was going to the movies, getting late-night cookies at Dee Dee Reese, or cheering the boys on at basketball games, there was always laughter, always joy.

"And even though Jason always kicked my ass in tennis, the conversations afterwards were the real win for me. Jason was loving, curious, thoughtful, and deeply kind. And even at 7 feet tall, the biggest thing about Jason was always his heart… the way he cared for his friends, his family, his teammates, and the world around him."

Ayda reflected on how their friendship remained strong even as life took them in different directions and commended his bravery for publicly coming out as gay while still an active player.

She continued: "As we grew older and life took our Wolverine wolf pack to different corners of the world, my love and admiration for him never wavered.

"I watched Jason go on to incredible success in the NBA, and I beamed with pride when he became the first active NBA player to come out as gay.

"His courage and grace were every bit as extraordinary as his giant heart. Cheering on a best friend like Jason, you see, was always very easy."

The mum-of-four recalled her final meeting with Jason, adding: "The last time I saw him, I had the privilege of reminiscing about old memories and telling him how much I loved him. While my heart was breaking at the thought of saying goodbye, Jason was once again the courageous one, the inspiration. He lifted his hand and gave me the biggest thumbs up."

"It was profoundly beautiful, and it will stay with me forever. Jason, I’m giving you an infinite thumbs up right back.
You have been, and always will be, the kind of friend people are lucky to find once in a lifetime."

She signed off the post: "Brunson, you have my deepest sympathies. And to Portia, Paul, Jarron, and Elsa, my thoughts, and prayers are with you. I love you with all my heart."

Fans quickly flooded the comments with messages of support for Ayda, with one person writing: "I am so sorry for your loss Ayda and so sorry for Elsa and her family. Sending so much love to you all."

Another posted: "What a man we lost. He was a leader on the court and awesome kind human off it. We're glad you could have such memories to remember him. Those will keep him alive and keep him as the example of human being he was. Bless him. Sending you lots of love your way, Ayda."

A third echoed: "So sorry to read you have lost a dear friend. Sending love to you and all who loved Jason xxx."

In a statement on Instagram, Jason's family wrote: "We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma.

"Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly."

After sharing news of his diagnosis, Jason said the tumour was like "a monster with tentacles spreading across the underside of my brain the width of a baseball".

Jason, who married American film producer Brunson Green last year, said revealing his diagnosis reminded him of when he came out as gay on a front-page cover story for Sports Illustrated in 2013.

"Your life is so much better when you just show up as your true self, unafraid to be your true self, in public or private. This is me. This is what I'm dealing with," he said.