Mexican star Lorena Rojas dies at 44

FILE - In this May 17, 2006 file photo, Mexican actress Lorena Rojas, named one of People en Espanol magazine's "50 Most Beautiful," arrives to a party celebrating the issue, in New York. Rojas died on Monday, Feb. 16, 2015, in Miami, after years of battling cancer. She starred in the soap operas "Azul tequila" y "Alcanzar una estrella." She was 44. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff, File)

Popular Mexican soap opera and movie actress Lorena Rojas has died of cancer in at age 44.

Latin World Entertainment talent agency said in a statement that Rojas died Monday in Miami surrounded by loved ones. She had battled cancer since 2008.

The Mexico City-born actress began her career in the 1990s with "Alzcanzar una Estrena." She later had roles in "Azul Tequila," ''El Cuerpo del Deseo," and "Pecados Ajenos." Her most recent project was the series "Demente Criminal."

Her roles extended beyond soap operas to films such as "Corazones Rotos," ''Papa Soltero," ''Mas que Alcanzar una Estrella" and "El Triste Juego del Amor." In the theater, she acted in "Manos Quietas" and the musical "Aventurera."

Just months ago she had launched a children's album called "Hijos del Sol."