Amanda Kloots Shares Emotional Tribute for Nick Cordero on 4th Anniversary of His Death: 'I'll Forever Love You'
Cordero died on July 5, 2020 at age 41 after experiencing complications from contracting COVID-19
Amanda Kloots is marking the fourth anniversary of her late husband Nick Cordero’s death.
The Talk co-host, 42, shared a heartfelt Instagram tribute in honor of the Broadway actor, who died in July 2020 from COVID complications.
The video post, set to Sting's "Every Breath You Take," was filled with various moments of the pair's time together and shots of Cordero with their now-5-year-old son, Elvis Eduardo, as a baby. The tribute was also accompanied by an extensive yet emotional message, which Kloots began by saying, "Missing Nick Cordero today on the four year anniversary of his death."
"Whenever I put a post like this together it really hits me how much loss cuts into you in ways you might never heal from. However, in going through all the pictures, as hard as it might be, I get to relive all our stories," she wrote. "Nick was so funny, happy, full of life and love, so talented and one of the biggest dreamers I knew. Take the photos and record life. Save them, they’ve saved me through this."
Related: Nick Cordero and Amanda Kloots' Sweetest Family Photos
Kloots asked her followers for a "huge favor" as she said: "I truly believe we don’t fully die if people keep saying our name and keep telling our stories. If you knew Nick or even if you followed his battle and remember dancing and singing with me everyday - post a picture of him on your feed or stories today and let’s celebrate his life!"
"Let’s lift him up! Tell a story about him or why you were inspired by him," she added. "It would help me so much today to read every single one. I’ll repost them all!"
As she continued, Kloots shared that what she's learned over the last four years is that "grief has changed every part of me."
"I’ve become a new person in every way. It changed how I love, how I look, how I feel, how I walk, how I think, how I raise my son, how I work. It has taught me a lot about anxiety, depression, fear and stress," she said. "It made me weaker and stronger at the same time and more honest, vulnerable and fearless in living my life."
"I learned how lucky I was to have someone in my life that loved me completely and I him. That’s rare, which I’ve also learned," she added. "Grief has been by far the worst thing that has ever happened to me, yet the most eye awakening. In the spirit of my late husband, he said it best, it taught me to LIVE. To live my life. I miss you every single day. I’ll forever love you."
Concluding her post, Kloots wrote: "Nick Cordero 9/17/78- 7/5/20 🕊️."
In March, the television personality opened up about her decision to repurpose her wedding ring — given to her by Cordero — that would honor his memory, but still be something she could use “every day.”
“Allowing my heart to change!” she wrote on Instagram of the decision to redesign her ring. “The healing process is an ongoing journey with my stepping stones along the way. I waited awhile to do this one because I was so unsure about changing something so special.”
Kloots explained that finding a new design that “fit my life now” was “tough,” adding that she had been “super picky” and “very nervous” to make the change to the ring. But in the end, she was happy with how it turned out.
“When I received my new ring yesterday I cried. It felt like it signified a new chapter for me, another step forward. I love that I decided to make this change when I was ready and I love that the heart that he gave me will always be in mine. ❤️,” she wrote.
Kloots was married to Cordero when he died in July 2020 at age 41 after suffering severe complications from COVID-19. The Tony-nominated performer — whose Broadway credits included Waitress and Rock of Ages — had been hospitalized for over 90 days.
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Kloots recently opened up about how Elvis is processing his dad’s death. "It has come up a couple of times. And, of course, it's always at random, weird times,” she explained in June on TheRetaility.com's "In Conversation" series.
The Tell Me Your Dreams author added that watching Elvis process the situation and ask his mom tough questions as he grows older is a “battle of emotions. It's hard.” Kloots also recalled a specific example from Cordero’s birthday celebration this year, saying, “This is the best way to sum up how he is understanding things right now.”
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