Broadway star Bret Hanna-Shuford, best known for appearing in productions of Wicked, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, has died aged 46.
The performer and influencer also gained a strong social media following as one half of the account Broadway Husband – in which he detailed his life with husband Stephen Hanna-Shuford and their three-year-old son Maverick.
However, it’s now been announced that Hanna-Shuford died this week – less than five months after he was diagnosed with cancer.
Sharing the news on social media, his husband said that he’d died in the early hours of Saturday, January 3.
‘It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that early this morning we said goodbye to the most amazing man, husband and Papa in the universe,’ the post began.
‘Bret Hanna-Shuford left this world peacefully with love surrounded by his family.
‘Our hearts are broken but we will continue to make him proud of us…’
Last summer Hanna-Shuford was diagnosed with an aggressive form of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and peripheral T-cell lymphoma – rare, life-threatening conditions that affect the immune system.
The first, HLH, occurs when the body’s immune defences become dangerously overactive and attack health tissue and organs, which can lead to severe inflammation and organ failure.
Meanwhile T-cell lymphoma is an aggressive blood cancer.
Throughout Bret’s illness, he and his husband shared updates on his condition and treatment with their 257,000 followers.
In recent months, Hanna-Shuford had been confined to hospital.
A few months ago, he shared a heartbreaking post after revealing he’d been unconscious for three days while in the intensive care unit. ‘I really want to go home,’ he wrote.
‘I really miss my son, a lot, and my husband…but I’m sending so much love to you, because your love to me has been incredible.’
In August a GoFundMe was launched to help the family afford medical costs – with a string of high-profile Broadway stars making contributions.
The page also explained that the performer faced weeks of ‘uncertainty, misdiagnoses and countless medical visits’ before receiving his diagnosis’.
At that time, he’d just moved into a new home in Florida with his husband and their young son, a time it was said should have marked new beginnings but instead saw them face an ‘unexpected battle for health and stability’.
Born in Beaumont Texas in 1979, Hanna-Shuford studied theatre at Wagner College, where he graduated in 2001.
He then went on to perform on the Disney Cruise Line and appeared in Broadway and touring productions including Wicked, Amazing Grace, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid.
He also performed in Cirque du Soleil’s Paramour, as well as in South Pacific at Lincoln Center, Ragtime, Next to Normal and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
Off the stage, he also featured on screen in several television shows, including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Only Murders in the Building, and The Good Fight, as well as The Wolf of Wall Street.
Bret and Stephen met in 2007 and married four years later, before welcoming their son in 2022.
He had recently begun graduate studies at the University of Florida and was writing a children’s book for Penguin Workshop.
In addition to his husband and son, he is survived by his parents, Preston and Deanna; and his brothers, Todd, Eric and Bart.
In his final post online – shared on December 17 – Hanna-Shuford told followers: ‘I hope you know how much I appreciate you and your support of me through this time.’
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.