Celebrities Mourn Luke Perry, Beverly Hills, 90210 and Riverdale Star, Who Died at 52
Luke Perry has reportedly passed away at the age of 52, following a massive stroke that he suffered last week. The actor best known for playing Dylan McKay on Beverly Hills, 90210 and Fred Andrews, father of Archie, on Riverdale, was hospitalized for days after the stroke.
This weekend, People reported that Shannen Doherty—Perry’s former 90210 co-star, Shannen Doherty, who played his love interest, Brenda—was one of the first celebrities to send well wishes to Perry after his stroke and was in communication with the actor. She said, ““I will not talk about how he’s doing because it’s between the two of us.”
As of March 1, Perry’s Riverdale co-stars, including Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart, shared their wishes for a “safe recovery” on social media.
But on Monday morning, the actor’s death was reported by Variety, which obtained a statement from his representatives. “[Perry] was surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiancé Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, step-father Steve Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder, and other close family and friends,” the representative revealed in a statement. “The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning. No further details will be released at this time,” they concluded.
Variety also obtained a joint statement from The CW, Warner Bros. Television, and Riverdale executive producers Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, and Jon Goldwater, revealing that the production of the series will be halted in the wake of Perry’s passing. “We are deeply saddened to learn today about the passing of Luke Perry. A beloved member of the Riverdale, Warner Bros. and CW family, Luke was everything you would hope he would be: an incredibly caring, consummate professional with a giant heart, and a true friend to all. A father figure and mentor to the show’s young cast, Luke was incredibly generous, and he infused the set with love and kindness. Our thoughts are with Luke’s family during this most difficult time,” the statement said. Before his death, Perry was also scheduled to appear alongside Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio in Quentin Tarantino‘s Manson family film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, due to be released this summer.
The ’90s heartthrob was immediately mourned on Twitter and Instagram by fans, friends, and co-stars, including Molly Ringwald (who plays the ex-wife of his character Fred Andrews on Riverdale), 90210‘s Ian Ziering, Busy Philipps, Selma Blair, and more celebrities.
Related: Luke Perry Reportedly Hospitalized After Suffering a Stroke: Costars Send Well-Wishes
