Actor Zach Braff is sharing the text messages he exchanged with his best friend, Broadway star Nick Cordero, following his tragic passing after battling COVID-19. On the latest episode of Braff’s podcast Fake Doctors, Real Friends With Zach + Donald, Braff opened up about the last thing he and Cordero said to each other.
According to Braff, the last thing Cordero said to him was a request. “The last thing Nick texted me before he went unconscious was, I said, ‘Is there anything I can do?’ And he said, ‘Please look out for Amanda and Elvis.'”
Zach Braff Shares Last Words His Best Friend Nick Cordero Said to Him Before He Passed
Amanda Kloot is Cordero’s wife and Elvis is their 1-year-old son. And now Braff intends on making his friend proud long after his passing.
“I promised that I’m going to do that for the rest of my life. And I want to make him proud. […] “There’s so many people that love Amanda and Elvis and we’re all going to be doing our part to help give this child an extraordinary life,” Braff said of Cordero’s baby boy, Elvis. “He just started walking and he’s just the cutest kid ever. He’s so cute.”
Cordero was in the hospital for 90 days battling COVID-19 complications when he passed away on July 5 at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. In April, Braff told The Hollywood Reporter that Cordero had COVID-19 symptoms “worse than anyone I’ve heard of who hasn’t passed away.”
Cordero is a Tony-nominated Broadway actor, who has starred in plays like Bullets Over Broadway, Waitress, and A Bronx Tale. He and Kloots got married in 2017. On the day of his passing, Kloots took to Instagram to share a few words.
“God has another angel in heaven now. My darling husband passed away this morning,” she wrote. “He was surrounded in love by his family, singing, and praying as he gently left this earth. I am in disbelief and hurting everywhere. My heart is broken as I cannot imagine our lives without him.”
“Nick was such a bright light. He was everyone’s friend, loved to listen, help, and especially talk. He was an incredible actor and musician. He loved his family and loved being a father and husband. Elvis and I will miss him in everything we do, every day.”
Kloots then concluded her statement with a special thank you to Cordero’s doctor, Dr. David Ng, as well as a thank you to their many friends, family, and fans who offered an outpouring of love, support and help over the last few months. “As I sang the last line to him, ‘they’ll give you hell but don’t you light them kill your light not without a fight. Live your life,’ I smiled because he definitely put up a fight. I will love you forever and always, my sweet man.”
Braff also shared some words on Instagram immediately after Kloots did. “Nick Cordero passed at 11:40 a.m. today with his wife and mother by his side. I have honestly never known a kinder person. But COVID doesn’t care about the purity of your soul or the goodness in your heart.”
“The last thing he ever texted me was to look out for his wife and one-year-old son, Elvis. I promise the world they will never want for anything. I feel so incredibly grateful I got to have Nick Cordero enter my life. Rest In Peace. Rest in Power.”
Our thoughts and prayers are will Amanda, Elvis, and the rest of Cordero’s family and friends during this extremely difficult time.
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