Patrick Stewart's widow Sunny Ozell shares first statement since his death at 86
Ozell said she was moved by the public response to her husband's death and thanked mourners for their condolences.
Sunny Ozell, Patrick Stewart's widow, wrote on Instagram on Wednesday that her grief "continues to come in waves." It was her first public statement since Stewart's death two weeks earlier.
Stewart was 86 when he died at home in Los Angeles on Oct. 28, according to an Oct. 29 statement from Kelly Bush Novak, his longtime spokesperson. He had Alzheimer's disease and Lewy body dementia, the statement said.
He was best known for playing Captain Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" and Professor X in the "X-Men" films.
Alongside her grief, Ozell, a singer-songwriter who is 47, expressed "such deep, profound gratitude." "We left nothing unsaid," she wrote.
"He knew I loved him, and I know he loved me," Ozell wrote.
A post shared by Sunny Ozell (@madameozell) on Instagram
"My heart had to grow to contain my love for Patrick, and he changed me for the better, forever," she wrote.
The post featured an image credited to @shervinfoto. According to Page Six, it was an older picture showing Ozell embracing Stewart and smiling.
Ozell wrote that she and Stewart "truly, authentically saw one another" and "amplified each other's best qualities." "We shared nearly two decades together, and we filled those years with so much living," she wrote.
She also described the response to his death. "I've been overwhelmed by the public response to Patrick's death, and while I'm not at all surprised that he touched so many, I'm sincerely moved by the outpouring of sadness and loss," Ozell wrote.
Ozell expressed thanks for the condolences, saying "they mean so, so much to me."
In the Oct. 29 statement, Bush Novak said Stewart died "in the loving care of his beloved wife Sunny." Around him were "live music, prayer, tears, laughter," the statement said.
"We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face," the statement said.
It was not immediately known whether a funeral or public memorial is planned.
Stewart and Ozell met in New York City in 2008, when she worked at a restaurant and he was performing in "Macbeth" on Broadway. They married in 2013, with Stewart's longtime friend and "X-Men" co-star Ian McKellen officiating.
Stewart announced their marriage on Sept. 8, 2013, in a post on X, then known as Twitter, writing "Yes, married."
Yes, married.
— Patrick Stewart (@SirPatStew) September 8, 2013
In a 2023 interview with the Irish Independent, Stewart said his ties to the children of his first marriage were "practically non-existent."
His son paid tribute shortly after the announcement of Stewart's death, Just Jared reported. Page Six reported that Daniel Stewart posted an uncaptioned photo of himself performing onstage with his father.
Stewart's official Instagram account requested memorial contributions in lieu of flowers for the Johns Hopkins Alzheimer's Disease Research Center Fund and Alzheimer's Foundation of America Caregiver Resources.
