Jean Smart reacted to the death of actor William Hurt on the red carpet of the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday night, saying she felt “crushed” by the news.
William died at the age of 71 of natural causes four years after being diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer, and the news of his death was broken by his friend Jerry Byrne shortly before the ceremony began.
Actress Jin, 71, reflected on the time she met the late actor just minutes after learning of his death at an event.
Upset: Jean Smart reacted to the death of actor William Hurt on the red carpet of the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday night, revealing she felt ‘crushed’ by the news
She told People, “I found out about 5 minutes ago and I’m crushed.
“We met when we were in our early 20s at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and I admired him and I am very sad. He was very talented.”
That evening, Jin received the award for Best Actress in a comedy series “Hacks”.
Sad: William died at the age of 71 of natural causes four years after being diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer and the news of his passing was announced by his friend Jerry Byrne shortly before the ceremony began.
It comes after Marley Matlin’s red-carpet response to a question about the death of her ex, William.
ET asked the 56-year-old CODA star about Hurt as she walked the red carpet at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.
“We lost a really great actor and working with him on the set of Children of a Lesser God will always be something I will remember with great fondness,” Matlin said of Hurt, whom she dated for two years. “He taught me a lot as an actor and he was one of a kind.”
Success: That evening, Jean won the Best Actress in a Comedy Series award for the break-ins.
Delighted: She showed off her chic figure in a glittery gold skirt and white top as she accepted the award on stage.
The Oscar-winning actress, who first met Hurt on the set of Children of a Lesser God, accused Hurt of sexual, physical and emotional abuse in her 2009 book I’ll Scream Later.
In the book, she detailed a case of sexual assault that she said happened while Hurt was filming Broadcast News.
In the book, she wrote that Hurt “came home drunk around 4:30,” according to the Daily Beast.
“The next thing I remember is that he dragged me out of bed and yelled at me and shook me,” Matlin said. “I was scared, I was crying. Then he threw me on the bed, began to tear off his clothes and from me. I cried. “No no no. Please, Bill, no.” The next thing I remember is Bill bumping into me while I was crying.”
Complicated: It comes after Marley Matlin’s red carpet reaction was low-key when asked about the death of her ex, William.
Matlin spoke about her relationship with Hurt in a 2009 Access Hollywood interview, saying that she was “always afraid of… him.
“But I loved him. I did. Or maybe I thought I did. But look, I was 19, he was 35,” she said, adding that they “were together for two years.”
When asked about the physical abuse, Matlin said she “always had fresh bruises every day…and if I had a split lip, or if…I mean, a lot of bad things happened.”
Reaction: Matlin said of Hurt, “He taught me a lot as an actor and he was one of a kind.”
She said she did not consider filing charges against the actor at the time as she was battling marijuana and cocaine addictions for which she subsequently sought treatment.
“I was so consumed by his world and my drugs,” she said. “Drugs took over my life, took over my brain. I was 19 and alone in New York. I had no friends there, except for a drug dealer.
“I can say that I understand how women are afraid to end abusive relationships. They should, but at the same time, I understand how they can’t.”
History: The Oscar-winning actress first met Hurt on the set of Children of a Lesser God in 1986.
The couple: The former couple was photographed in Los Angeles at the 1986 Oscars after-party after Hurt won an Academy Award for his role in the 1985 film Kiss of the Spider Woman.
The Moreton Grove, Illinois native also detailed the incident with Hurt after she won an Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her role in Children of a Lesser God.
In the book, she said that he told her, “Why do you think you deserve this? There are hundreds of actors who have worked for years for the recognition you just received. Think about it.’
Matlin said that Hurt also suggested that she take acting lessons after she won an Academy Award.
Hurt subsequently responded to the claims in a statement in 2009, saying, “I remember that we both apologized and both did a lot to heal our lives.
“Of course, I did and do apologize for any pain I caused. And I know we’ve both grown. I wish Marley and her family all the best.”
Matlin, who has also worked on Family Guy, Quantico and Switched at Birth, spoke about writing the book in an interview with The Guardian last summer.
Love life: The former couple dated for two years in the mid-1980s after meeting in the film Children of a Lesser God.
Asked if she had a hard time remembering memories for the book, Matlin said: “I was itching to tell my story, to talk about what I went through.
When asked if she was worried that the claims would affect her career, Matlin said: “I didn’t even think about it because it was true. It was my truth and I had to tell it my way.”
She said she “could understand the anger” and “cry for help” amid the multiple accusations against dozens of powerful men in show business during the #MeToo movement in 2017.
“I applauded everyone who came out and spoke about their experience, and I realized that this is not easy,” she said. “People got blacklisted — it happened to some of these actresses. If this happened to you, you have the right to talk about it.
Hurt’s son Will confirmed the actor’s death at age 71 in a statement on Sunday.
“It is with great sadness that the Hurt family mourns the passing of William Hurt, beloved father and Oscar-winning actor, on March 13, 2022, a week before his 72nd birthday,” he said. “He died peacefully, among his family, a natural death. The family is currently asking for privacy. In 2018, Hurt announced that he had been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer that had spread to his bones.
Sad: Hurt’s son Will confirmed the actor’s death at age 71 in a statement on Sunday. The actor was photographed in 2016 in Los Angeles.