Sunny Ozell has spoken out for the first time since Sir Patrick Stewart died at 86.
Ozell, who was married to the British screen legend for 13 years, posted her statement two weeks after Stewart passed away at his Los Angeles home on October 28. His representatives had earlier confirmed he died following what they described as a “brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia.” She was 40 years his junior when they wed.
“Today marks two weeks since Patrick passed, and the grief continues to come in waves,” she wrote. “But I’ve also been experiencing such deep, profound gratitude.”
The couple’s relationship began in 2008 in New York City, where Stewart was performing in “Macbeth” on Broadway and Ozell was working at a restaurant. They married in 2013 with Stewart’s longtime friend and “X-Men” co-star Ian McKellen officiating the ceremony. It was Stewart’s third marriage, coming a decade after his split from television producer Wendy Neuss.
Ozell emphasized the completeness of their bond in her message. “We left nothing unsaid. He knew I loved him, and I know he loved me,” she shared.
She continued: “Patrick and I truly, authentically saw one another, and we amplified each other’s best qualities.”
The musician also reflected on how Stewart had transformed her. “My heart had to grow to contain my love for Patrick, and he changed me for the better, forever,” she wrote.
Stewart’s representatives announced his death on his official Instagram page with a detailed statement. “We announce with great sorrow the passing of Sir Patrick Stewart yesterday at his home in Los Angeles, in the loving care of his beloved wife Sunny, following a brief and poignant journey with Alzheimer’s Disease and Lewy Body Dementia,” the post read.
The representative added: “He has been held in the warm embrace of family and friends, surrounded by live music, prayer, tears, laughter, and the kind of profound emotion that only he could inspire after a lifetime of devotion to us all. We will forever cherish the peaceful ease and reflection on his face, an enduring reminder of his invincible grace.”
Ozell noted she had been “overwhelmed by the public response to Patrick’s death” and said she was not surprised he had touched so many people. She described being “sincerely moved” by the “outpouring of sadness and loss” and directly addressed those who reached out.
“Thank you all for your condolences, they mean so, so much to me,” she wrote.
She also looked back on their nearly two decades together. “We shared nearly two decades together, and we filled those years with so much living,” Ozell shared.
Stewart was best known for his iconic roles as Professor Charles Xavier in the “X-Men” film franchise and Captain Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” When the couple announced their marriage, Stewart had posted on X, then known as Twitter, a simple message with a photograph: “Yes, married,” accompanied by an image of the newlyweds in a ballpit.