Adele ‘hit hard’ by personal tragedy amid Las Vegas residency

Adele's new gig has been described as an absolutely blockbusting, heart-soaring show packed with personality. Photo / Getty Images

First Adele battled illness in the lead-up to her long-delayed Las Vegas residency, and now it’s been revealed she is coping with loss as well.

She’s been “hit hard” after the death of her best friend’s mother just hours after the singer’s first weekend in concert in Vegas, reports The Sun.

Raven Verona is one of Adele’s closest friends as well as her photographer, and has recently lost her mother, according to the outlet.

A source said, “For the past 12 months Adele’s focus has been on these Vegas shows but despite being under serious pressure herself, when Raven lost her mum she rushed to offer support.

“Family is a massive thing for Adele and she was keen to make it clear that she could take all the time she needed away before returning to work.

“The passing has hit them both hard.”

Despite the singer telling her to take leave, Verona still photographed the second weekend of shows, with Adele dedicating her 2008 hit Make You Feel My Love to her.

Adele paused her performance to pay tribute, telling the audience, “I would really appreciate it if you could all put on your torches on your phone and shine them like stars so I know her mum can see us.”

Verona later shared footage of the moment online and wrote, “One of the last things I got to do with my mum on the Sunday before she passed was show her the photos from weekend one.

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“I was so excited to show them to her and was hopeful I’d be able to bring her to one of the shows. Thank you Adele and everyone at the show for honouring my mum.”

The singer also revealed her health struggles to the audience, which led to the initial run of performances being delayed earlier this year.

“A week before the shows I was as sick as a dog — you can imagine my panic,” she said.

“I was like, ‘I am going to have to be on that stage in a hospital bed with a bunch of doctors and nurses.’

“But thank goodness the good Lord, he took me under his wing and I was better, but I had to watch a lot of production rehearsals from up at the top balcony.”

Adele’s Vegas residency runs until the end of March.