The Untold Truth Of Shad Gaspard
Reports surfaced that Shad Gaspard had gone missing on May 17, 2020 while swimming with his son, Aryeh. Lifeguards and rescue teams desperately searched the waters off of Venice Beach, California, for two days before they had to call off the search, according to TMZ. Sadly, on the morning of May 20, 2020, the L.A. County Coroner identified a body found on L.A.'s Venice Beach as Gaspard's.
On May 17, Gaspard was swimming with his son when they got caught in a strong rip current around 4 p.m. When lifeguards raced into the ocean, Gaspard directed them to help his son first. They did so but then a big wave crashed on Gaspard and that was the last time he was seen.
Gaspard, aged 39 at the time of his death, was formerly known as a WWE wrestler, per TMZ. He was on the beach with his son and wife, Siliana Gaspard, according to the Daily Mail. While Gaspard went missing on Sunday afternoon, Siliana was seen back on the beach the following days, looking out at the water as search teams continued their efforts to find her husband and WWE superstar.
We wish the Gaspard family our deepest condolences. In this time of tragedy, here's everything we know about the remarkable wrestler, husband and father.
Shad Gaspard equally loved wrestling and Shakespeare
Shad Gaspard was born in Brooklyn, New York, per The Miami Herald. Even as a kid, Gaspard was involved in extreme sports, including: boxing, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts. When Gaspard was just 20-years-old, he was 6'7" and weighed 310 pounds, per the outlet. Because of his size and athleticism, he worked as a bodyguard for rappers and actors including: Puff Daddy, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Mike Tyson.
In 2005, he signed a developmental contract with WWE and then became a member of the wrestling team Cryme Tyme with fellow WWE superstar, JTG, which debuted in 2006, according to CNN.
Following his time in wrestling, Gaspard pursued an acting career and appeared in several films and TV shows, including: Think Like a Man Too and The Last Sharknado: It's About Time, per CNN. But Gaspard also loved Shakespeare and stage acting, according to The Washington Post and could recite lengthy sections of Shakespeare's plays on command.
While Gaspard displayed his acting chops, he also successfully pursued the dream of writing a graphic novel, Assassin and Son. He later wrote a screenplay for the graphic novel along with former WWE wrestler, Muhammad Hassan, according to Wrestling News.
This isn't the only remarkable thing Gaspard did. In fact, he's known as a hero in Florida for his bravery in the face of an attempted robbery.
Shad Gaspard single handedly stopped an armed robbery in Florida
In December 2016, Shad Gaspard was at a Valero gas station in Coral Springs, Florida, according to The Washington Post, when a man named Jason Felix approached Gaspard. Felix instructed Gaspard to buy him a beer and tauntingly showed a gun in the waistband of his pants.
According to the outlet, Gaspard lunged at the man and retrieved the gun, bringing it up to the clerk's counter. Gaspard then brought Felix outside and held him on the ground until police arrived. That armed robber picked the wrong guy to mess with!
While Gaspard looked huge and played a ferocious role with the WWE, he was allegedly kind as could be. According to TMZ, when Gaspard came on for interviews with TMZ Sports, he "couldn't have been a nicer guy."
According to the Daily Mail, Gaspard married Siliana Gaspard (pictured) in 2009 and together they had one son. When Gaspard went missing, his wife posted a message on Instagram stories asking for people to reach out if there were any sightings of him. It was clear everyone did everything they could to find Gaspard. Now that he has passed, friends from the wrestling and acting communities are rushing forward to offer their condolences.
Actors and wrestlers offer condolences on the passing of Shad Gaspard
Members of the Gaspard family posted a loving tribute to Shad Gaspard on his Instagram page and his social media is flooding with messages of condolence and comfort. Aquaman star Jason Momoa wrote: "Love u [S]had my heart broke you are an amazing soul it was honour to share time. love u all my prayers and mana."
The wrestling community really stepped up, with messages of love from WWE star Apollo Crews as well as MMA fighter Steve Orosco, also known as "Hulk SMASH." Actor Terry Crews jumped in the comments as well as Kleber Bambam, the champion muscle contestant, who also expressed his grief.
Pro wrestler Kevin Kesar, known as Killer Kross, posted his own tribute to Gaspard, saying: "I feel lucky to have met a person like him. Very rare breed. There was never a day I saw him that he didn't make me laugh."
Actor Dan Feuerriegel posted his own tribute on Instagram, saying of Gaspard: "He made sure the lifesavers saved his son first while they were both trapped in a rip tide. Sending love to his family."
In fact, many of the comments pointed out the heroism that Gaspard showed by protecting his son before himself. Professional heavyweight boxer Mike Rashid said it best when he wrote: "Put his son first. That's a real man. Condolences and love to the family. This tore me up."