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Bret Hanna-Shuford, Broadway Actor and Influencer, Dies at 46

The Broadway community had rallied around his family during treatment for HLH complicated by peripheral T‑cell lymphoma.

Overview

  • His husband, Stephen Hanna-Shuford, said he died early Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, and that he passed peacefully surrounded by family.
  • He was diagnosed in summer 2025 with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis along with peripheral T‑cell lymphoma, and his CD30‑negative status limited use of certain targeted therapies such as brentuximab vedotin.
  • He spent months hospitalized, including time in intensive care when he was unconscious for three days, and he remained inpatient through Thanksgiving and Christmas.
  • A GoFundMe launched in August 2025 to help with medical and household costs drew donations from Broadway figures including John Tartaglia, Douglas Sills and Thomas Schumacher.
  • Known for roles in Wicked, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, he had paused graduate studies at the University of Central Florida to begin chemotherapy.