Tony Dow ‘still alive but in his last hours’ after statement mistakenly announced death
Tony Dow’s son has confirmed the actor is still alive despite an earlier statement saying he had died. The star is, however, said to be in his ‘last hours’
A statement was released saying Tony Dow had died
Image: GC Images)
(
Actor Tony Dow is still alive, despite his wife and management earlier releasing a statement confirming his death.
The Leave It to Beaver star, 77, had been announced dead by his management in a Facebook post which has since been taken down.
The actor, who played Wally Cleaver in the sitcom is under hospice care and “in his last hours,” according to his son.
Christopher Dow posted on Facebook: “This is a difficult time. Dad is at home, under hospice care, and in his last hours.
“My wife and I are by his side along with many friends that have visited. He has a fighting heart.”
It’s said that the actor’s wife, Lauren Shulkind, provided false information surrounding his condition to his management team, which resulted in the mix-up.
Tony Dow during 2nd Annual TV Land Awards
Image:
( WireImage)
TMZ said she is “very distraught” and “believed her husband was dead” before informing his management team.
She added to ABC that she has been “a little fuzzy” and felt “foolish” at her error.
She told the outlet: “It is of my own doing”, before explaining that she “loves and adores” her husband with “all of her heart”.
The pair have been married for 42 years.
The day’s earlier statement by the star’s team had read: “It is with an extremely heavy heart that we share with you the passing of our beloved Tony this morning.
“Tony was a beautiful soul – kind, compassionate, funny and humble. It was truly a joy to just be around him. His gentle voice and unpretentious manner was immediately comforting and you could not help but love him.
“The world has lost an amazing human being, but we are all richer for the memories that he has left us. From the warn reminiscences of Wally Cleaver to those of us fortunate enough to know him personally – thank you Tony.”
It concluded: “And thank you for the reflections of a simpler time, the laughter, the friendship and for the feeling that you were a big brother to us all. We will miss you.”
Tony Dow during 5th Annual TV Land Awards
Image:
( WireImage)
In May this year it was confirmed that Tony had relapsed in his battle with cancer.
As well as his role on Leave It to Beaver, Tony also starred in the ’80s movie titled Still the Beaver before taking up a role in the series The New Leave It to Beaver, of which he also directed five episodes and wrote one.
Other roles included appearances in General Hospital and Lassie.
His directing credits also featured Honey I Shrunk the Kids.
Read More
Read More
Most Read
Don’t Miss
Celeb obsessed? Get a daily dose of showbiz gossip direct to your inbox
Invalid Email
Something went wrong, please try again later.
Thank you for subscribing
We have more newsletters
Privacy Notice
See our Privacy Notice