Jean Smart opened up about her pain and confusion over her late husband's sudden death.
On Thursday, People published a preview of the “Hux” star's interview with journalist Chris Wallace, which is scheduled to air Friday.
In the video, Wallace asked the “Designing Women” alum about the 2021 death of her husband of more than 30 years, Richard Gilliland, and how “devastating” it was for her.
“Worst, awful,” Smart replied. “It was such a shock. It was so unexpected.”
Jean Smart (left) and Richard Gilliland, photographed in 2006. From E. Charbonneau, Getty Images
Gilliland died of heart disease, but Smart said she initially thought he had contracted the coronavirus or something.
“The place I took him to get tested didn't do anything other than test for COVID-19,” Smart said of Gilliland's tests amid the coronavirus pandemic. He said while remembering the treatment.
After his death, she decides to “go back to one of those places” and confront the person responsible there.
“I said, 'Let me ask you something,'” Smart remembers telling the medical professional. “I said, 'If I brought my 71-year-old husband here who has pain when he takes a deep breath,' I said, 'What would you do for him?'” he said. “Well, the first thing we'll do is do an electrocardiogram.'' [electrocardiogram]. ” I said, “He passed away last week.” Why didn't you do that? ”
Smart and Gilliland appear in a 1987 episode of “Designing Women.” CBS Photo Archive via Getty Images
Smart first met Gilliland when he was cast in the recurring guest role of J.D. Shackelford on “Designing Women,” a show he appeared on from 1986 to 1991.
“I met him while he was kissing other people,” Smart said with a laugh in a 2017 interview, noting that Gilliland played the lover of one of her co-stars' characters. mentioned.
The couple married in 1987 at the home of fellow “Designing Woman” actors Dixie Carter and Hal Holbrook. Later, they welcomed two sons.
Smart won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series after her husband's death.Chris Haston/NBC via Getty Images
Although Smart still has children, she told Wallace that the loss of Gilliland was difficult and that she has only begun to move on from his death in the past year.
“I lost my brother. It's a completely different, completely different experience. To lose my partner of 35 years, to have spent literally half my life with him, it's something that cannot be described in words.” said Smart. “You go through this period where you think it's not real. It's just, this isn't real, you know? This just doesn't make sense.”
