‘Full House’ Star John Stamos Mourns Death of Best Friend From ‘Sudden Heart Attack’

John Stamos is mourning the loss of his “greatest friend.” In an emotional tribute shared to social media Monday, the Full House alum, 61, revealed that his friend of 50 years, Mike Owen, recently died of a “sudden heart attack.”

“On a flight to Detroit to visit my friend Dave, I got a text from my best friend’s brother: ‘Call me.’ My stomach dropped. ‘Is Mike OK?’ I sent back. The response took forever, those cruel three dots hovering on my screen. Finally, just two letters: ‘No,’” he recalled. “Mike Owen, my best friend since I was 11, was gone. A sudden heart attack. Just like that. The world I’d built around our friendship shifted, surreal and devastating.”

Sharing a gallery of images highlighting their decades-long friendship, Stamos said Owen “wasn’t just my friend. He was the friend. My everything friend.” According to the actor, “from the moment we met, we were inseparable, two boys finding magic in Disneyland and in each other’s company.”

“He was the guy who always let me shine, always happy to be in the shadows, cheering me on,” he continued. “Mike had this way of making the world feel steady. He wasn’t flashy, didn’t need to be the center of attention, didn’t hunger for more than what he had. His gift was something most people spend their lives chasing: contentment. It wasn’t complacency. It was peace.”

According to Stamos, Owen “carried our shared history with a reverence I didn’t always understand. Now, I think he knew something I didn’t: how fleeting life is. He held onto our memories not to live in the past, but to savor the beauty of our bond.”

Stamos said that just three weeks before Owens’ passing, they enjoyed time together at Disney World, something he called “one last gift.” The actor said they spent days like we were kids again—laughing, reminiscing, doing old bits, sitting on familiar benches, soaking in the magic of our friendship. It was pure joy, and I’ll treasure it forever.”

“Losing Mike feels like losing a piece of myself, like chapters of my story are missing now. He knew every secret, every joy, every heartbreak,” he wrote, adding that he knows his friend would want him “to hold onto the love and laughter we shared and to remind you—don’t wait. Say the thing. Book the flight. Tell the people you love how much they mean to you, today!”

In a touching final message directed at his late friend, Stamos wrote, “Mike, I’ll miss you every day. You were my brother, my compass, my greatest friend. You taught me to find joy in simplicity, to laugh through life’s hardest moments, and to treasure what we have while we have it. I love you. Always. Rest easy, my friend.”

The post, shared the same day that Stamos reunited with Dave Coulier amid his battle with cancer, was met with condolences from fans. Commenting on the post, one person wrote, “Condolences John. This year has been hard.” Rita Wilson added, “Oh John- I’m so sorry. What’s a beautiful tribute. May his memory be eternal.”