Patrick Stewart’s Widow Sunny Ozell Shares a Heartfelt Tribute Two Weeks After His Death
Fans around the world are still mourning Patrick Stewart. The English actor, best known as Captain Jean-Luc Picard on ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ and Professor Charles Xavier in the ‘X-Men’ films, died on Wednesday, October 28, at his Los Angeles home at age 86. A statement on his social media said he died after a brief battle with Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.
The announcement came from his longtime spokesperson, Kelly Bush Novak. It said Stewart died in the loving care of his wife, Sunny, and described a peaceful farewell surrounded by live music, prayer, tears, and laughter. Tributes quickly poured in from across the entertainment world, and Marvel Studios said it was deeply saddened by his death.
Now the person closest to him has spoken publicly for the first time. On Wednesday, November 11, Sunny Ozell shared a black-and-white photo of the couple on Instagram, marking 2 weeks since Stewart’s death. It was her first public statement since he died.
Ozell, 47, was open about her loss. She wrote that her grief keeps coming in waves, but that she has also felt a deep sense of gratitude. She explained where that gratitude comes from. Ozell said the couple had left nothing unsaid, and that each knew how much the other loved them. She added that they truly saw each other and brought out the best in one another.
She also looked back on their years together. Ozell described nearly 2 decades together that were full of life, and ended her post by saying that loving Stewart made her heart grow and changed her for the better.
Ozell also acknowledged the public response. She said she had been overwhelmed by the reaction to her husband’s death, and that while she wasn’t surprised by how many people he had touched, she was sincerely moved by the outpouring of sadness.
She thanked everyone who had reached out and said the condolences meant a great deal to her. Her post quickly drew a wave of supportive messages. The couple’s story started in New York. Stewart met Ozell in 2008, when he was starring in a year-long stage production of ‘Macbeth’ and she was waiting tables at a Brooklyn restaurant. The American singer-songwriter got engaged to Stewart in March 2013.
Their wedding had a famous officiant. The couple married in September 2013 in a ceremony led by Stewart’s longtime friend Ian McKellen. Ozell is also the stepmother to Daniel and Sophia, Stewart’s children from his first marriage to Sheila Falconer.
Stewart often praised his wife in interviews. In 2022, he told PEOPLE that he had never met anyone like her, describing her as remarkably smart, well-informed and accomplished. Stewart leaves behind a huge body of work. His career covered 6 decades, from Shakespeare to Broadway, and he kept working into his 80s.
The stage remained central to his career. He appeared alongside McKellen in several plays, including ‘Waiting for Godot’ and ‘No Man’s Land,’ which they performed in the West End and on Broadway. For millions of fans, though, he’ll always be remembered as Picard and Professor X.
What part of Patrick Stewart's legacy do you remember most fondly?
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
