Broadway Star Nick Cordero Dies After Months Battling COVID-19
Nick Cordero is another devastating loss to a virus that has claimed nearly 130,000 American lives
As politicians deny its existence and severity, states continue to power toward reopening, and people still refuse to wear masks to protect themselves and others, the coronavirus pandemic rages on. To day, nearly 130,000 American lives have been lost, and that number continues to climb every day. Today, we add one more devastating loss to that growing list: Broadway actor Nick Cordero, who has spent months in an L.A. hospital battling complications after contracting COVID-19 in late March.
Cordero is known for his roles in shows like Waitress, A Bronx Tale, and Bullets Over Broadway, and he was starring in a Hollywood production of Rock of Ages until the pandemic forced the theater to close. According to PEOPLE, he entered the emergency room on March 30 and suffered 95 days of complications and setbacks, including mini-strokes, blood clots, septic infections, a tracheostomy and a temporary pacemaker implanted. His right leg was amputated. He was on a ventilator. A double-lung transplant was being discussed when he died. He was only 41 and had no known pre-existing conditions.
Cordero’s wife, Amanda Kloots, made the heartbreaking announcement on Instagram.
“God has another angel in heaven now. My darling husband passed away this morning. He was surrounded in love by his family, singing and praying as he gently left this earth,” she wrote. “I am in disbelief and hurting everywhere. My heart is broken as I cannot imagine our lives without him. Nick was such a bright light. He was everyone’s friend, loved to listen, help and especially talk. He was an incredible actor and musician. He loved his family and loved being a father and husband. Elvis and I will miss him in everything we do, everyday.”
Kloots had been open about sharing Cordero’s progress and setbacks throughout his treatment on her social media. She encouraged family, friends, and fans to join a daily afternoon singalong of one of Cordero’s favorite songs. He leaves behind his wife, and also their one-year-old son, Elvis.
According to Extra, Kloots had only recently been allowed to visit her husband at his bedside. “He interacts with his eyes, answering questions by looking up for yes and down for no. When he is alert he can also move his jaw. I have been doing passive physical therapy on him to help in any way I can to get him stronger, to keep his joints moving and engage his muscles,” she explained on Instagram. “He cannot move his body yet. He has had some minor blood infections that are causing little blood pressure issues although those are under control. His vent settings are getting better and his numbers are trending in a better direction.”
Fans and colleagues from the theater industry flooded social media with tributes to Cordero and condolences for his family. Many asked people to wear masks in the actor’s honor.
COVID-19 cases are now surging in nearly every state in the U.S., which is the global epicenter for the pandemic. The virus has killed more than half a million people worldwide, more than 25 percent of them in the U.S.
