News broke last week that Scrubs actor Sam Lloyd had died at age 56 following a battle with cancer. Those who worked closely with Sam have already paid tribute to the actor online, but now his wife Vanessa Lloyd has spoken out about losing her partner in a heart-wrenching statement.
The actor had been diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2019 and it had been deemed inoperable after doctors saw it was “too intertwined.” Eventually, the cancer metastasized to his lungs, spine and jaw before he passed away last week. The couple had just had a son, Weston, in 2019.
In her statement, Vanessa Lloyd shared details about the day Sam Lloyd died, also opening up about her own feelings on the matter. She doesn’t shy away from the heartbreak she is currently feeling as she processes her grief.
Sam passed away peacefully at 10:30 on April 30, 2020 as a result of complications from lung cancer. Our family is devastated. It doesn’t feel real. It never will. It just feels like he will walk through the door.
There’s a small mercy in that Sam Lloyd’s family did have advance notice about his illness and the toll it was taking on his body. A Go Fund Me account set up for the family shares a story about how they were being a little loud while Lloyd was in the hospital. A nurse asked them to keep it down and he joked, “What are they going to do, kill me?”
So, the actor seems like he tried to stay in good spirits as he fought the disease, yet I’m sure that comes as little solace right now. Vanessa Lloyd did go in her statement (via The Wrap) that she is grateful for the “love” Sam’s fanbase has been sending during this time.
The overwhelming outpouring of love and sharing your stories about working with or knowing Sam keeps his memory alive and our hearts strong. Sam loved his work. I want to continue his legacy, and hope to share some of the beautiful songs he was working on for his musical and our son, Weston.
Sam Lloyd was long a familiar face in Hollywood. A character actor, his biggest role was playing Ted in the hit comedy Scrubs. The actor also had a memorable role in Desperate Housewives and appeared in lots of other hit comedies, including in Modern Family, Shameless, Cougar Town and many, many more. His last TV appearance was on American Housewife in 2019.
It’s always hard when someone you love passes away. I’d imagine it hits more ferociously when it feels like someone you love is taken too soon. Sam and Vanessa Lloyd had just had a son together and stories about the actor nearing his end indicate he was able to see many of Weston’s “firsts,” including the fact his first word was “dada.”
Right now, time feels like a precious commodity for many of us, and stories like these hit very close to home. If you’d like to contribute to the Go Fund Me for Vanessa and Weston, you can do so.
