Mel Schilling’s husband has issued a statement about his wife’s passing, one month on from the TV star’s death.
Mel, 52, died last month following a cancer diagnosis. The Married at First Sight relationship expert revealed she had been diagnosed with colon cancer in 2023, and later learned it had spread to her lungs.
Despite undergoing 16 rounds of chemotherapy while continuing to film the series, Mel began experiencing headaches and numbness. Doctors later confirmed the cancer had spread to her brain and told her there were no further treatment options available.
Mel passed away in March, with her husband Gareth sharing the news in a post on Instagram.
He wrote: “Melanie Jane Brisbane-Schilling passed away peacefully today, surrounded by love.
“In her final moments, when I thought cancer had taken away her ability to speak, she ushered me closer and whispered a message for Maddie and me that will sustain me for the rest of my life. It took all of her remaining strength, and that gesture summed up our wee Melsie perfectly.”
Now, roughly a month after Mel’s death, Gareth returned to social media on Saturday (April 25) to thank people for their support and to share how he and Maddie have been coping.
In his update, he said the family had held a private funeral earlier this month. He also revealed that he and Maddie, Mel’s daughter, plan to move to Bali in the coming weeks.
“Hey everyone.
“Thanks so much for all the messages of support over the past month since our girl’s passing, Maddie and I have drawn enormous strength from how so very loved she was and is.
“We laid Mel to rest on the 9th April. It was a lovely private ceremony for family and close friends which we streamed to Mel’s family in Oz. Maddie announced on the morning of the funeral that she had written a little speech which she delivered beautifully. Every inch her mother’s daughter and I couldn’t be prouder.
“Last weekend we scattered some of Mels ashes at the lighthouse in my hometown of Whitehead, Northern Ireland as was her wish. It’s a special place that really resonated with her, a place where strangers say hello as you pass, and a place we can now come back to to reflect on our incredible 15 years together.
“In a few short weeks Maddie and I will be welcomed back into the arms of mother Bali where we will begin our next chapter. No better place to heal, a place that we all loved and where we still have some of our dearest friends who had the most wonderful blessing ceremony for Mel at our new villa last weekend.
“The photo of Mel in white is what we chose as her funeral photo. Equal parts glam, warmth and vulnerability which was her all over. Love and light to you all.”
Along with the message, Gareth posted several photos, including one of Mel at the lighthouse in Northern Ireland, as well as other personal images and a picture believed to be from the blessing ceremony held in Bali.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact GrieveWell on (734) 975-0238, or email [email protected].