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Ryan Seacrest opened up about a heartbreaking loss.
Legendary host and television personality Gary Seacrest’s father has passed away after battling prostate cancer.
Seacrest himself confirmed this sad news in a statement on October 31.
“It is with a heavy heart that I share with you that my beloved father passed away peacefully earlier this week,” she captioned an Oct. 31 Instagram post. “My mom, my sister and I have peace knowing that he is in a better place and free from any pain or suffering. We are heartbroken.”
Earlier this year, the Wheel of Fortune emcee revealed that his father had been diagnosed with the aforementioned illness.
Seacrest continued in his emotional statement:
“He was a devoted husband for 56 years, an incredible dad to my niece Flora and my best friend. Dad, you will live in our hearts forever. I love you.”
Included alongside Seacrest’s social media caption were photos of Gary with his family, including his wife Constance Marie Zullinger, Ryan’s sister Meredith Seacrest, her husband Jimmy Leach and their daughter Flora Leach.
Later on Friday, Ryan recalled his final moments with Gary during Friday’s broadcast of his iHeartRadio show.
“It’s so vivid in my mind, but like he said without much force or energy, that he loved us and he was going to miss us,” Seacrest told listeners.
“He looked at me, and the power in the touch, and said, ‘Take care of your mom.’ And he said to my sister [Meredith, and her husband,] Jimmy, ‘Take care of Flora, my granddaughter.’ Then, literally a few seconds later, he closed his eyes and said, “I have to go.” He knew it. “I was at peace.”
On July 21, Seacrest said the following during a segment on On Air with Ryan Seacrest:
“My dad is in his 80s and I have a very close relationship with my father. And my father was diagnosed with prostate cancer years ago and started treatment. And he didn’t get better. It got worse and it spread. It didn’t go well for him.”
According to Seacrest, his father’s illness took a turn during the most recent season of American Idol.
“I was on a live American Idol show last season and my sister called me and said, ‘Dad’s in the ICU. How fast can you get here?'” Ryan recalled, noting that Gary had contracted pneumonia.
“I finished the show. We were almost done. I couldn’t even, I couldn’t even remember what I was saying that was in the show. It was like robotic at that point.”
After flying to his father’s bedside, Ryan made sure to cherish some family memories.
“I looked [my parents] On weekends they send photos of smiles and happiness and being together,” he said at the time.
“They’ve been married for 55 years. And they have each other. They’re happy to sit together looking at the ocean. I want to share that because I’ve been holding onto it for a long time.”
