Mary J. Blige Reflects on 'Dream' Power Book II: Ghost Role That 'Reminded Me of My Mom' Following Monet's Emotional Death

Mary J. Blige is saying goodbye to her beloved Power Book II: Ghost character Monet.

The "Family Affair" singer's character was the matriarch of the Tejada family for all four seasons of the Power spinoff and in the penultimate episode of Ghost, she met a gruesome death to save her children.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Blige, 53, says: "It’s been a dream to join the Power family and play a character like Monet Tejada. This character allowed me to show a woman on screen that I know well."

"From the start, Monet reminded me of my mom and so many other mothers who had to be strong raising children in the inner cities," she continues of her character, who was a mother to Ghost's Cane (Woody McClain), Dru (Lovell Adams-Gray) and Diana (LaToya Tonodeo).

"This final season has been amazing to watch with the fans, and I can’t thank them enough for being along for this ride."

Ghost's final season saw Monet continue to face the challenges that have plagued her throughout the series due to the rocky relationship she has with her kids and her role as the queen pin of the Tejada drug

Her relationship with Tariq St. Patrick (Michael Rainey Jr.) also faced its fair share of ups and downs throughout the series, and Rainey Jr. tells PEOPLE he "actually shed a tear when I watched [Monet die]."

"I knew it was happening and everything, but I actually shed a tear," he admits. "That scene, I don't know why, I was just like, bro, we really got rid of Monet? That's crazy. And then it was just the way she went out, you know? Like she went out trying to protect her kids."

"She came out with the two guns, she don't care, she threw her life away right there, like y'all not gonna kill my babies. Like, y'all can take me, but y'all not gonna take my babies," Rainey Jr., 24, says.

"She's a gangster. She went out like a G, I can't lie. But I definitely shed a few tears."

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The series finale of Power Book II: Ghost is now streaming on Starz.