Luke Perry’s Fiancee, Wendy Madison Bauer, Speaks Out For The First Time Since His Death

Wendy Madison Bauer has broken her silence following the death of her fiance, Luke Perry, People is reporting. Perry, who rose to fame starring on Beverly Hills, 90210 and was most recently a cast member on the hit show, Riverdale, passed away on March 4 at the age of 52 after suffering a massive stroke. According to a statement from Perry’s representative, the actor was surrounded by the most important people in his life as he passed, including Bauer, his ex-wife, Minnie Sharp, his mother, Ann Bennett, his step-father, Steve Bennett, his brother, Tom Perry, his sister, Amy Coder, and his beloved children, Jack and Sophie. Now, Bauer is speaking out for the first time in the wake of the tragedy with her own statement.

“I want to express my gratitude to everyone for the outpouring of love and support,” Bauer said. “The countless, heartwarming stories of Luke’s generosity and kindness have been a great source of solace during this difficult time. The past 11½ years with Luke were the happiest years of my life, and I am grateful to have had that time with him. I also want to thank his children, family, and friends for their love and support. We have found comfort in one another and in the knowledge that our lives were touched by an extraordinary man. He will be dearly missed.”

Not much is known about Perry and Bauer’s relationship, but they’ve been together for over a decade, according to Bauer’s statement. There is no exact date known for when they became engaged, but Perry’s long-time friend, Patricia Arquette, seemed to approve of the pairing, referring to Bauer as Perry’s “great love” when reminiscing about him earlier this week.

Perry was still on good terms with his ex-wife, however. Perry and Sharp married in 1993 and had their two kids before parting ways in 2003 in what was said to be an amicable split. They appeared to have a shared focus on their children, 21-year-old Jack and 18-year-old Sophie. Many people have mentioned Perry’s adoration of his children in their statements regarding his passing, and Perry’s 90210 co-star Shannen Doherty even said that Perry always told people that his kids were his “biggest accomplishments.”

It appears that his children were equally as adoring of their father, as they both posted heartfelt tributes to him on their Instagram accounts. Sophie explained in her caption that she doesn’t really know “what to say or do” under these circumstances, but that she sees the support people are sending her and is “grateful.” As for Jack, he wrote a touching caption about carrying on his father’s “legacy.” It’s clear that Perry will be greatly missed by his family and fiancee.