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Alan Thicke’s Wife Tanya Breaks Silence on Actor’s Death: ‘Gut Wrenching Sadness’

Alan Thicke’s wife, Tanya Thicke, broke her silence on the actor’s death in a statement to Us Weekly on Tuesday, December 20, expressing the “unbelievable grief” of laying her husband to rest.

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“It is with gut wrenching sadness and unbelievable grief that I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for the outpouring of love and support during this unimaginable time,” her statement read. “Through tears and smiles our dearest of family and friends came together at our home to celebrate the life of my sweet and devoted husband Alan Thicke. Yesterday, along with my step sons and our combined extended family, we laid my beloved husband, soul mate and the patriarch of our family to rest. We ask that you respect our privacy during this time of profound mourning.”

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Alan Thicke and Tanya Thicke on October 8, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California.
Alan and Tanya Thicke on October 8, 2016, in Beverly Hills, California.

In lieu of flowers, Tanya asked that fans make a donation in memory of Alan Thicke to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), “a cause that he cared about deeply.”

As previously reported, the TV icon died suddenly at the age of 69 after suffering a heart attack on December 13, and was laid to rest during a star-studded funeral held at Tanya’s home in Carpinteria, California, near Santa Barbara on Monday, December 19.

Around 300 guests, including the entire cast of Growing Pains, including Leonardo DiCaprio, along with Kris Jenner, Bob Saget, Rob Lowe, Alex Trebek, Bill Maher and O’Neal McKnight, gathered to celebrate the former talk show host’s life.

“The mood was very upbeat, it was more like a fun Vanity Fair Oscars party than a memorial,” an insider told Us Weekly. “All of the speeches were fun and full of life. It was just the way Alan would have wanted it, more of a celebration of his life. Everyone was expressing how much they love him.”

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Alan, who was previously married to Gloria Loring and Gina Tolleson, is survived by Tanya and his three sons, singer Robin Thicke, and Brennan and Carter Thicke

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