Losing a Spouse to Cancer
- Real Housewives star NeNe Leakes shared a heartbreaking video on Instagram today of her and late husband Gregg Leakes dancing to It Would Be You by Johnny Gill, one day after Gregg died from colon cancer at 66.
- Gregg was first diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2018.
- Recovering after losing a loved one to cancer, especially a partner, isn't a "one-and-done" process, many members of the SurvivorNet community have told us; one widower even told us that the idea of "moving on" isn't realistic, or even desired.
The video shows the couple joyfully slow dancing together and mouthing the words to the song to each other. NeNe posted the video to her Instagram page Thursday with the caption "â¤ï¸ðŸ’”â¤ï¸ðŸ’”â¤ï¸ðŸ’”" as other celebrities have begun to reach out to the grieving widow with condolences.
Read MoreView this post on InstagramNeNe shared the somber news about her husband’s deteriorating condition last week.
"My husband is transitioning to the other side," she told guests at her Linnethia Lounge in Duluth, Ga., on Aug. 28.
Gregg was first diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in 2018; he was hospitalized for close to three weeks. NeNe shared the news of his hospitalization on Instagram and later revealed it was cancer when she posted a photo of her husband at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
Things soon after seemed to be going well for Gregg, who, thanks to an aggressive treatment plan, was able to appear alongside his wife on The Wendy Williams Show in September 2019; it was on the show that he announced he was cancer free. His condition took a turn, however, and in June, NeNe shared the news that Gregg had been diagnosed with the disease for a second time.
Celebrities Reaching Out
Real Housewives boss and host Andy Cohen was one of the first people to pay tribute to Gregg, tweeting: "I am heartbroken over the passing of Gregg Leakes, a wonderful man. I jokingly called him 'Pastor Leakes' but in truth he was a strong voice of reason & commanded great respect among the entire #RHOA team. I am sending love and strength to @neneleakes & the entire Leakes family."
Former Real Housewives star Kim Zolciak-Biermann answered fan questions via Instagram; when asked if she kept in touch with NeNe, she replied, "Yes! Please say a prayer for her and her family," with a broken heart emoji.
Other Real Housewives names, such as Cynthia Bailey, Shereé Whitfield and Porsha Williams also expressed their condolences for their former co-star, NeNe and her family.
“Heartbroken💔 So many good times & so many amazing memories. Gregg was always so loving, funny & kind. So blessed to have had him in my life. Sending my heartfelt condolences to @NeNeLeakes and her family. Thinking of you & my heart and prayers are with you.ðŸ™ðŸ½â¤ï¸ðŸ™ðŸ½," Bailey posted to Twitter.
Heartbroken💔
So many good times & so many amazing memories. Gregg was always so loving, funny & kind. So blessed to have had him in my life. Sending my heartfelt condolences to @NeNeLeakes and her family. Thinking of you & my heart and prayers are with you.ðŸ™ðŸ½â¤ï¸ðŸ™ðŸ½ pic.twitter.com/3kg78upPaDCynthia Bailey (@CynthiaBailey10) September 1, 2021
“My heart and prayers are with the Leakes family during their time of loss. Greg Leakes was a kind and gentle soul and he will truly be missed by many. May the family find peace and comfort during this difficult time. ðŸ™ðŸ½ðŸ™ðŸ½," Whitfield also tweeted.
My heart and prayers are with the Leakes family during their time of loss. Greg Leakes was a kind and gentle soul and he will truly be missed by many. May the family find peace and comfort during this difficult time. ðŸ™ðŸ¾ðŸ™ðŸ¾
Shereé Whitfield (@IamSheree) September 1, 2021
Williams shared a photo of Gregg and NeNe on Instagram, writing, “Truly heartbreaking news 💔 Love and prayers for dear Nene & the Leakes family ðŸ™ðŸ¾ #Speechless 💔 🥺 We love you Greg #F–kCancer."
How to Cope With Losing a Loved One
Recovering after losing a loved one to cancer, especially a partner, isn't a "one-and-done" process, many members of the SurvivorNet community have told us; one widower even told us that the idea of "moving on" isn't realistic, or even desired.
"I don't even think I want to move on," Doug Wendt, who lost his wife of 25 years to ovarian cancer, said in an interview with SurvivorNet. "But I do want to move forward, and that's an important distinction. I encourage anyone who goes through this journey as a caregiver who then has to face loss to think very carefully about how to move forward."
The point is that moving on and dealing with grief is different for everyone; it remains to be seen how NeNe will deal with Gregg's passing, but the support system she has around her will hopefully make it easier for her to carry on.
Dealing with the grief of losing a loved one and recovering from that experience is a highly personal process, and everyone goes through it differently. We are all wishing NeNe and her family the best.
There are going to be some really hard conversations when losing a partner to cancer. John Duberstein, who lost his wife to cancer, explains why those conversations are worth it.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.