“He is my husband and always will be.”
Losing a loved one suddenly is an unimaginable heartache that no one wants to experience. If that death is of a husband, wife, or life partner, the grief is profound. Mourning a death is an incredibly trying time. And having to manage it while in the public eye only makes the situation even more difficult. For celebrities who have lost a loved one, dealing with that loss in public is all too familiar. And while it's a painful experience, many of these stars have bravely opened up about dealing with grief, even years later.
To find out whose partner died, read on…
1. Sandra Bullock
In 2023, Sandra Bullock Sandra lost her longtime partner, Bryan Randall, who “passed away peacefully” after a three-year battle with ALS. Bryan had asked his friends and family to keep his death a secret while he was battling the disease, so they tried to respect his wishes as much as possible. Sandra has yet to speak publicly about Bryan's passing, but her sister hinted that the couple scattered his ashes in a local river.
“Happy birthday, Brai! Sandy took you to the river like she promised,” Sandra's sister, Geseen, wrote on Instagram.
2. Celine Dion
In early 2016, Celine Dion She lost her husband of over 20 years, Rene AngelilRené passed away after a battle with throat cancer. Celine had been his manager since she was a teenager and had three children with the legendary singer. Before his death, René suffered three bouts of cancer and eventually passed away at home surrounded by friends and family.
“It's been really hard losing my husband and my kids losing their father,” Celine said. today show. “I feel like Rene has given me so much over the years and still does. I get to see my kids. I see them. We live with Rene. We still live with him. He's a part of our lives every day, so I feel so, so strong.”
3. Liam Neeson
Liam Neeson He tragically lost his wife. Natasha Richardson Natasha was shocked when she suddenly died in a skiing accident. In 2009, Natasha was taking a skiing lesson on the beginner slope when she fell and hit her head. At first, her injuries seemed minor and she refused to be taken to hospital, but her condition gradually worsened. She was rushed to hospital, where it was discovered she had suffered a traumatic brain injury. She subsequently passed away.
Liam didn't speak about Natasha's death for years, admitting as late as 2014 that it still didn't feel real – he still visits her grave and speaks to her every day.
“The grief just kind of hits you, it just comes in waves,” Liam said. 60 minutes“Anyway, it just feels really unstable. Like a three-legged table. Suddenly… the Earth is not stable anymore. And it passes and it happens less frequently, but I still feel it sometimes.”
4. Lea Michele
Lea Michele I was dating her Glee Co-star Cory Monteith Corey was a drug addict at the time, due to a heroin and alcohol overdose accident. A few months prior, Corey had checked himself into a rehab facility, but unfortunately relapsed. Since Corey's death in 2013, Leah has remembered her late ex-husband every year and has even gotten several tattoos in tribute to him.
“I have nothing but happy memories with Corey. He wasn't my addiction, which unfortunately won out,” she told Seventeen magazine. “But he wasn't that kind of person. Corey made me feel like a queen every day. From the moment he said, 'I'm your boyfriend,' I loved every day and thanked him for being the best boyfriend and making me feel so beautiful.”
5. Allison Holker
Allison Holker She was married to her husband Steven “Twitch” Boss She dated him for almost 10 years until his sudden suicide in 2022. She later said he kept his mental health struggles private and “no one realized he was depressed.” Looking back, she said, he didn't want anyone to know what was going on and just wanted to be “everyone's Superman and protector.”
“[I’m] “It's full of very complicated emotions and conflicting feelings, sometimes I'm really joyful and happy, other times I'm really angry and sad and just a whole lot of different confusing emotions all at once,” she said. The Jennifer Hudson Show.
She continued, “And at the end of the day, I decide to choose the energy that's right for me, for my kids and for myself. So I choose love and joy, I remember him as the amazing human being he is, I celebrate him with my kids, and I celebrate life because I feel like there's so much purpose and love for us to experience.”
6. John Travolta
In 2020, John TravoltaWife of Kelly Preston She lost a two-year battle with breast cancer, and as he reflected on those years without Kelly, John stressed the importance of taking time to grieve privately, rather than always trying to be a supportive figure for others.
“I've learned that mourning someone and living through grief is a very personal thing. Grief is personal, and finding your own path to healing is what makes it different from anyone else's journey,” John said. Esquire Mexico. “The most important thing you can do to help grieving people is to give them the space to live their grief and not complicate their journey with your own.”
He continued, “You have no idea how many people approached me… and afterwards I felt overwhelmed by other people's pain and didn't know what to do. The first thing to do when working through grief is to get to a place where you can truly grieve undisturbed.”
7. Kellie Pickler
Kellie PicklerMy husband of over 10 years, Kyle Jacobsdied by suicide in early 2023. Though she remained very private after his death, she shared how grateful she was to her supportive friends, family, and fans.
“One of the greatest lessons my husband has ever taught me was that when you don't know what to do in a moment of crisis, 'do nothing and just be still.' I have decided to follow his advice,” she told People magazine. “To my family, friends and well-wishers, thank you for the countless letters, calls and messages you have sent me. They have truly touched my soul and are helping me get through the darkest time of my life. As so many of you have said, I am praying for you all.”
8. Teri Irwin
Teri Irwin She tragically lost her husband Steve Irwin Terry died suddenly in 2006 after being stabbed in the chest by a stingray. Terry and Steve's two children, Bindi and Robert, often remember the late conservationist, and even now, more than a decade after his death, Terry says he often finds himself overwhelmed by grief.
“Grief hits at the strangest times, which is why I find myself talking to my biology students and remembering Steve and the tears flowing,” she said. Anne's encounter with fame“You never get over grief. Grief changes, but you don't wake up one morning and think, 'Oh, this is it.' That was the difficult part of the journey after Steve passed away.”
9. Patton Oswalt
Patton OswaltThe journalist's wife Michelle McNamara She died suddenly in her sleep in 2016 from complications from an undiagnosed heart condition and medication. Since her death, Patton said he's found himself hit by sudden waves of sadness, the kind that comes with a cheesy love song.
“When you're grieving, it's not like you can plan what you're going to avoid and what you're going to go for. Memories just come flooding in, and you get used to it. It doesn't matter what plans or contingencies you've made. This thing just hits me one way or another,” he told Vulture. “I wake up every day and I'm alive. It's hard to describe it as 'healing.' It's more like I'm evolving. You know, you never fully heal. But you can evolve into a different person, a person who can live life and experience joy.”
10. Iman
In 2016, Imanhusband of David Bowie He died less than two years after being diagnosed with liver cancer. [an] She dealt with the grief of his death by choosing to “remember the beautiful things, rather than running away from them.”
“I think about him all the time. People say, 'Your late husband,' but I say, 'Don't call my husband late. He's not my late husband. He is my husband and he always will be,'” Iman said on the show. Today Show Radio“If there is an afterlife, I want to see my husband again. That is my wish.”
