These Celebs Died From Coronavirus

Spain's Princess Maria Teresa becomes the first royal to pass away from the novel coronavirus. She was 86. Her death was announced on Facebook by her brother, Prince Sixto Enrique de Borbon, the Duke of Aranjuez.

"SAR Don Sixto Enrique de Borbón communicates that this Thursday, March 26, 2020, has passed away in Paris, at eighty-six years old, his sister Maria Teresa de Bourbon-Parma and Bourbon Busset, victim of coronavirus COVID-19," the statement read. "Don Sixto Enrique is very sorry and begs for prayers for his sister's eternal rest."

Known as the "Red Princess" for her lifelong socialist activism and advocacy for women's rights, Maria Teresa was the cousin of Spain's King Felipe IV (via People). According to the publication, the outspoken royal was a "distinguished professor at Paris' Sorbonne and an outspoken professor of Sociology at Madrid's Complutense University." Two other royals, U.K.'s Prince Charles and Monaco's Prince Albert, are among the many other celebs who have also tested positive for COVID-19.

Celebrity chef and international restaurateur Floyd Cardoz passed away on March 25, 2020, at Mountainside Hospital in Montclair, N.J. from the novel coronavirus. He was 59. "It is with deep sorrow that we inform you of the passing away of Chef Floyd Cardoz," Hunger Inc. Hospitality, where Cardoz served as culinary director, said in a statement (via CNN).

The winner of Bravo's third season of Top Chef Masters, Cardoz admitted himself to the hospital on March 17, 2020 when he felt ill after returning from India where he was filming the Netflix series Ugly Delicious. His last Instagram post was a selfie taken in the hospital the same day in which he wrote, "I was feeling feverish and hence as a precautionary measure, admitted myself into hospital in New York."

The India-born chef's Manhattan restaurant, Tabla, elevated Indian-American modern cuisine like no other chef before him. "I adored him. A great chef, groundbreaking in so many ways, a generous human, resilient of spirit and loved his family, his garden and our restaurant world so much. I'm stunned. I know what I'm eating tonight for dinner," Andrew Zimmern, the host Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods tweeted, accompanied with a link to a Cardoz recipe.

Actor Mark Blum died at the age of 69 on March 25, 2020, due to complications of the coronavirus after testing positive a week prior (via Los Angeles Times). His wife of 15 years, Janet Zarish, said that Blum suffered from asthma, but had not, as the publication put it, "traveled recently or knowingly been in contact with anyone with the virus."

Perhaps best known for film and television roles in Crocodile Dundee, Desperately Seeking Susan, Mozart in the Jungle, and the Netflix series You, Blum also starred in several Broadway productions over the course of 40-plus years, such as Lost In Yonkers, The Best Man, and Gus and Al, according to Playbill. "With love and heavy hearts, Playwrights Horizons pays tribute to Mark Blum, a dear longtime friend, and a consummate artist who passed this week," Playwrights Horizons, a theater company in New York City, tweeted following the news of his passing. "Thank you, Mark, for all you brought to our theater, and to theaters and audiences across the world. We will miss you."

Dozens of members of the entertainment industry have since mourned Blum's passing on social media, including the likes of Bernadette Peters, Judith Light, and Madonna. Meanwhile, actress Rosanna Arquette, who starred in Desperately Seeking Susan alongside Blum and Madonna in the mid-'80s, offered her condolences on Twitter, writing in part, "I'm so deeply sad for his family and for his fans. [He] was a wonderful actor and a very good and kind man."

Actor Andrew Jack passed away from complications related to COVID-19 in a Chertsey, England hospital on March 31, 2020, Deadline reports. He was 76. 

His dialect coach wife, Gabrielle Rogers — who was in self-quarantine in Australia at the time (via TMZ) — announced the news on Twitter, writing in part, "Andrew Jack was diagnosed with coronavirus 2 days ago. He was in no pain, and he slipped away peacefully knowing that his family were all 'with' him." In a lengthy statement to Deadline, Jack's agent, Jill McCullough, said in part, "Andrew lived on one of the oldest working houseboats on the Thames, he was fiercely independent but madly in love with his wife."

Having most recently played Major Ematt in the latest Star Wars trilogy, Jack was also a dialect coach and worked with A-list actors on major films like The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Star Wars, and Avengers: Endgame. He had been coaching Robert Pattinson for The Batman at the time of his death. Several stars have since reacted to Jack's passing on social media, including TLOTR actors Elijah Wood and Sean Astin and Star Wars director JJ Abrams. "He was a joy to be with on the new trilogy," Anthony Daniels, who plays C-3PO in Star Wars, tweeted. "As dialect coach, he helped the cast get it right through his talent and humour. As an actor, his distinguished features made him stand out in any scene."

New Orleans jazz legend, pianist Ellis Marsalis Jr., passed away on April 1, 2020, due to complications of COVID-19, his son Branford Marsalis (another jazz legend) told The New York Times. He was 85.

"It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of my father, Ellis Marsalis Jr.," Branford said in a statement (via USA Today). "My dad was a giant of a musician and teacher, but an even greater father. He poured everything he had into making us the best of what we could be." He added that his father had been in the hospital for less than a week and "died peacefully."

During his tenure as a teacher at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, Marsalis taught such notable future musicians as film composer Terence Blanchard and pianist Harry Connick, Jr. He was also named a "Jazz Master" by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2011, which the Times notes "is considered the highest honor for an American jazz musician." Marsalis is also the patriarch of one of the greatest musical families that includes four sons with illustrious careers, one of whom is nine-time Grammy-winning trumpeter Wynton Marsalis.

Jaws actress Lee Fierro died from complications of COVID-19 at an Ohio assisted living facility, The Martha's Vineyard Times reports. She was 91. While she trained as a theater actress, Fierro was perhaps best known to the masses for her scene-stealing role as the grieving mother who slapped Roy Scheider's Chief Brody in Steven Spielberg's 1975 hit flick. 

Fierro spent much of her life where the iconic shark movie was filmed on Martha's Vineyard, teaching drama to over 1,000 children at the Island Theatre Workshop over the course of four decades. According to theater's artistic director, Kevin Ryan, "The one word I would think of when I think of Lee is dedication. I've watched her as a performer, director, and businesswoman and then we became friends. She was my teacher and mentor." He continued, "She was fiercely dedicated to the mission of teaching. She, no matter what it was, would stay at it and get the job done."

Multiple other members of the Island theater community spoke to the publication about Fierro's influential presence in that scene, including novelist Nicki Galland, who credited Fierro with sparking her creativity and allowing her to get through her "teen years." Noting that the stage actress was proud of and "tickled by" her role in Jaws, which the New York Post notes she reprised in the 1987 sequel, Jaws: The Revenge, Galland added, "She would say, 'If you told me that's what I'd be known for, I wouldn't believe it.'"

Legendary country-folk singer-songwriter John Prine passed away due to complications from the coronavirus in Nashville, Tenn. on April 7, 2020. He was 73. "Yes, we can confirm on behalf of the Prine family — John died today at Vanderbilt due to complications of Covid-19," his publicist told CNN. The multiple Grammy winner was hospitalized and intubated in late March according to his family. A favorite of such icons as Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, and Kris Kristofferson, Prine was called "the Mark Twain of American songwriting" by Rolling Stone and influenced countless songwriters over the course of his illustrious career that spanned over five decades.

As the news of his death spread, countless music legends paid their respects. "Over here on E Street, we are crushed by the loss of John Prine," Bruce Springsteen tweeted. "John and I were "New Dylans" together in the early 70s and he was never anything but the loveliest guy in the world. A true national treasure and a songwriter for the ages. We send our love and prayers to his family."

"Words can't even come close," Bonnie Raitt tweeted. "I'm crushed by the loss of my dear friend, John. My heart and love go out to Fiona and all the family. For all of us whose hearts are breaking, we will keep singing his songs and holding him near."

Per the Associated Press (via The New York Times), Prine is survived by his wife, two sons, a stepson, and three grandchildren.

Cinematographer Allen Daviau, who collaborated with Steven Spielberg on acclaimed films like E.T., The Color Purple, and Empire of the Sun, died of coronavirus complications on April 15, 2020, while under care at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital. The five-time Academy Award nominee was 77.

Speaking with Deadline, CEO of the Motion Picture & Television Fund Bob Beitcher said, "Allen was diagnosed about a week ago and went to West Hills Hospital because of underlying conditions." He added, "In the last few days, as his condition went downhill and it was clear that he wasn't going to survive, his friends and healthcare advocates and our staff worked to bring him back to MPTF, because he wanted to die at home. This had been his home for the last eight years."

"In 1968, Allen and I started our careers side by side with the short film Amblin," Spielberg said in a statement to the publication. "Allen was a wonderful artist but his warmth and humanity were as powerful as his lens. He was a singular talent and a beautiful human being." The famed producer-director had also sent Daviau a letter "[recounting] their years of friendship and collaboration together," per The Hollywood Reporter, which was read to Daviau several times prior to his passing.

Allen Garfield, a veteran character actor who appeared in such 70s classics as The Conversation and Nashville, died on April 7, 2020, from COVID-19 complications, The New York Times reported. He was 80. According to the publication, Garfield was living at the Motion Picture & Television Fund Home retirement facility — a coronavirus hotspot — since suffering his second stroke in 2004.

Born Allen Goorwitz, the actor was a former Golden Gloves boxer and sports journalist who eventually pivoted to acting in the late 60s after studying under Lee Strasberg at legendary Actors Studio. "I became an actor in order to be trained by the masters, which I was, at the Actors Studio," he once said in a television interview. "From the moment I stepped foot in the Actors Studio, I audaciously stepped out and said who I was, for better or for worse. I put my stamp on things as an actor and as a director."

Garfield's intense energy and authenticity he brought to his characters served him well over his forty-year career, scoring him numerous roles in such hits as The West Wing, Law & Order, Chicago Hope, Beverly Hills Cop II, and The Cotton Club. He is survived by a sister, Lois Goorwitz. 

Roy Horn (right) of the Las Vegas act, Siegfried & Roy, passed away from COVID-19 complications on May 8, 2020, CNN reports. The legendary performer was 75. In late April, his spokesman confirmed that the magician and entertainer had contracted the coronavirus.

"Today, the world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend," Siegfried Fischbacher released in a statement. "From the moment we met, I knew Roy and I, together, would change the world. There could be no Siegfried without Roy, and no Roy without Siegfried. Roy was a fighter his whole life including during these final days. I give my heartfelt appreciation to the team of doctors, nurses and staff at Mountain View Hospital who worked heroically against this insidious virus that ultimately took Roy's life."

Fellow Las Vegas magician and illusionist Criss Angel tweeted his respects, writing, "Thank you for your kindness, inspiration and friendship. You paved the road and will forever be missed." MGM Resorts, which owns The Mirage, where Siegfried & Roy performed for over a decade, also honored the iconic performer. "The world lost a legendary figure with the passing of Roy Horn," its official account tweeted. "His story, and the story of Siegfried & Roy, are larger than life. Our hearts go out to Roy's family and friends, and most notably to Siegfried who shared a lifetime of magic and friendship with this special man."

Annie Glenn passed away on May 19, 2020, from COVID-19 complications, People reports. The widow of astronaut and Senator John Glenn, she was 100 at the time of her passing. "We mourn the loss of Annie Glenn — an inspirational voice to many of us over the years," the National Air and Space Museum said in a Twitter statement. "She was a source of strength to her husband John during his time in the space program and US Senate, overcoming challenges and become an American hero in her own right."

Glenn had a debilitating stutter, which left her feeling helpless for the majority of her life. "I could never get through a whole sentence," she told The New York Times in 1980. "Sometimes I would open my mouth and nothing would come out." Glenn added, "I could never tell jokes like everybody else. John had to order my meals at restaurants. When I asked for something at a supermarket, clerks would snicker at me."

That all changed in 1973, when she enrolled in a three-week fluency-shaping program in Virginia that changed her life — and others. Glenn became a hero to many by bringing awareness and being a champion for those with speech disorders. She devoted her life to the cause, eventually becoming an adjunct professor in the speech pathology department at Ohio State University. Per The New York Times, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association created an award in 1987 called "The Annie," awarded annually to someone fighting "on behalf of those with communication disorders."