Bret passed away just days after posting a heartbreaking photo from his hospital bed

Bret Hanna-Shuford, 46, has died (Image: Instagram)

Broadway performer and influencer Bret Hanna-Shuford has died at age 46. The tragic news was confirmed by his family in an emotional Instagram post.

It read: “It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that early this morning we said goodbye to the most amazing man, husband and Papa in the universe. Bret Hanna-Shuford left this world peacefully with love surrounded by his family. Our hearts are broken but we will continue to make him proud of us.” Less than five months ago the entertainer was diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL). Just days before he died, he posted a smiling snap with his husband from his hospital bed. Hanna-Shuford shared his health journey on his social media account, after receiving the prognosis last summer. In October, he shared that he had been unconscious in the ICU for three days as he shared that he “wanted to go home”.

 

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Bret Hanna-Shuford had a rare cancer (Image: Getty Images for Family Equality)

A GoFundMe was set up in August to help the star “fight cancer”. It read: “Our dear friend, husband, father, and brother, Bret Shuford, was recently diagnosed with Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) and T-Cell Lymphoma, a rare and life-threatening immune condition.

“After many weeks of uncertainty, misdiagnoses, and countless medical visits, Bret finally has answers—but the road ahead will be long and challenging.”

The entertainer was famed for his established Broadway credit list. He had featured in the likes of Beauty and the Beast, Wicked and companies of Cirque Du Soleil’s Paramour, Amazing Grace, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Little Mermaid.

He also acted in several television shows, including Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (2018), Only Murders in the Building (2023) and The Good Fight (2020). The star also appeared Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street.

When not on stage or in front of a camera, Hanna-Shuford had an impressive social media presence. He and his husband, Stephen, created their joint social media page the Broadway Husbands, where they documented their lives as gay parents.

In addition to his husband and son, survivors include his parents, Preston and Deanna; and his brothers, Todd, Eric and Bart.