Gavin Creel fans cried when the touching story about the actor and his ex-boyfriend Jonathan Groff resurfaced.
The beloved Broadway star died Monday while receiving treatment for a rare and aggressive form of cancer, according to her partner, Alex Temple Ward.
Jonathan dated Gavin in 2009 and previously told how his love for the late star “gave him the strength” to come out as gay publicly.
The Frozen star, 39, who first rose to fame on Broadway in the 2006 musical Spring Awakening, came out to friends and family when she was 23, but waited another year to publicly announce her sexuality. .
When the heartwarming story resurfaced following Gavin’s death, fans shared their condolences and sent Jonathan their “love.”
Gavin Creel fans cried when the touching story about the actor and his ex-boyfriend Jonathan Groff (Jonathan pictured last year) resurfaced.
The Broadway star died Monday while receiving treatment for a rare form of cancer, according to her partner, Alex Temple Ward (Gavin pictured in 2017).
They wrote in X: “Thinking about Jonathan Groff’s story about how his relationship with Gavin Creel gave him the strength to come out publicly”; ‘I know Jonathan didn’t have social media, but I’m really thinking about him right now because I know he and Gavin were once a couple. I can’t imagine losing someone you were once involved with, you know? It must be soul-wrenching, but really painful;
‘It’s really beautiful how we all need that person to give us permission to be our full, authentic self. I’m glad Jonathan had that and was given the strength he needed at that time’;
‘What a wonderful story! Thanks for sharing this’; ‘Oh how beautiful’; ‘I hope Jon is being loved right now, it’s so sad’; I’m not crying or anything…’; ‘That story about Jonathan Groff coming out always makes me cry. I can imagine it so vividly.
talking to Interview MagazineJonathan recalled how after coming out to his brother, he hadn’t thought about telling the public.
While attending the March on Washington for Marriage Equality, he “froze” when a reporter asked him who he was going to represent, but was urged to come out as gay after looking at his then-partner.
He told the publication: ‘I froze. I hadn’t even thought about coming out as a public person. She said, “Oh my God, it doesn’t matter. I’m so sorry.” And then she moved on.
‘I really remember this moment where I looked to the right and saw Gavin. He’d also recently come out, a year or two before, and seeing him with a megaphone cornering people, God, I was so in love with him. I was like, “Oh my God, I’m dating. I’m dating. I’m dating.”
“So I went back to her and said, ‘Hi, excuse me, I’m gay.’ And that’s how I came out publicly at the March on Washington for Marriage Equality.
Jonathan dated Gavin in 2009 and previously told how his love for the late star “gave him the strength” to come out as gay publicly (pictured in 2022).
When the touching story resurfaced after Gavin’s death, fans shared their condolences and sent Jonathan their “love.”
Gavin was known for a series of successful performances in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Hair, She Loves Me and Hello, Dolly. – acting alongside stars such as Bette Midler and Jane Krakowski.
He died on Monday, September 30, while receiving treatment for a rare and aggressive form of sarcoma, according to his partner, Alex Temple Ward.
Sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that forms in connective tissues, including bones, muscles, fat, nerves, blood vessels, and more. Sarcomas appear most frequently in the arms and legs.
Creel also played Troy Winslow on the television series American Horror Stories.
He was reportedly receiving treatment at New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering after being diagnosed with cancer in July.
However, he was recently transferred to palliative care at home.
Creel’s family has requested that gifts be made in Gavin’s memory. Broadway Cares/Equity fights AIDS.
What is epithelioid sarcoma?
Epithelioid sarcoma is an incredibly rare form of soft tissue cancer that is most often found under the skin of a finger, hand, forearm, lower leg, or foot.
Slow-growing cancer begins as a small, firm, painless growth. It can also present as an ulcer that refuses to heal.
The disease is difficult to diagnose because it can be confused with other diseases that present similar symptoms.
Epithelioid sarcoma is an incredibly rare form of soft tissue cancer
Patients who develop epithelioid sarcoma usually require surgery, but other treatments may be required.
Doctors may use MRI or CT scans to inspect the lump, although biopsies are also used.
A pathologist can determine if the sample is cancerous and if the tumor is aggressive.
If a sample is cancerous, the surgeon usually removes the cancer along with some of the surrounding healthy tissue. In some cases, the surgeon will amputate the affected limb.
Patients may also receive radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
Fountain: Mayo Clinic