Stefanie Sherk: Actress and Model Dead at 37

Canadian actress and model Stefanie Sherk, also the wife of Oscar-nominated actor Demian Bichir, was reported to be dead on April 20. He announced the death of his wife in an emotional message on Instagram.

The Mexican actor wrote early Wednesday that Sherk died “peacefully” on April 20. She was 37. Bichir did not specify a cause of death.

“Dear friends, On behalf of the Sherk and the Bichir Nájera families, it is with inconceivable pain that I announce that on April 20, 2019, our dearest Stefanie Sherk, my beloved and loving wife, passed away peacefully,” Bichir wrote in the post alongside a photo of Sherk. “It has been the saddest and toughest time of our lives and we don’t know how much time it will take for us to overcome this pain.”

“Stefanie’s beautiful, angelical and talented presence will be immensely missed. We will hold Stefanie in our hearts forever,” he wrote. “We thank everybody beforehand for their prayers and we respectfully ask for your understanding so we may grieve in peace and privacy in these incredibly difficult times. It is our sincerest hope that our beautiful Stefanie, my angel and love of my life, will rest in eternal peace.”

Celebrities like Diane Kruger, Richard E. Grant and Arielle Kebbel paid tribute to Sherk.

“Oh Demian, I’m so sorry I had no idea. I’m sending you so much love in this difficult time,” Kruger wrote alongside three heart emojis. Grant commented with a series of broken-hearted emojis.

“Sending so much love to you and your family. I will continue to pray for you all during this difficult time,” Kebbel wrote.

The couple started dating in 2010 and did not have children together, although Bichir, 55, has a daughter, Gala, born in 2011. It’s unclear when Bichir and Sherk tied the knot.

When Bichir was asked by the Miami Herald in 2014 if they’d marry, he said, “It’s really hard to actually know if something is forever. I never plan that. You love who you love every day and you expect that to last forever. But you also have to be truthful when things are not right. And that’s when instead of having 14 kids everywhere and 18 marriages you need to be smart and truthful and fair to the people you love. If you’re lucky enough to go to the next level, then that’s beautiful too.”

“This is the best girl I’ve ever met. She’s not only a fantastic artist — I respect that a lot — but she’s a beautiful, beautiful human being and so smart. And all that together makes her beautiful. She’s a beautiful, amazing human being,” he said, according to the Daily Mail.

Sherk was born in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Canada, and appeared in Bichir’s directorial debut Un Cuento de Circo & A Love Song as well as the films Star Power, Valentine’s Day and Loco Love. She also starred in the 2015 TV show #Hashtag: The Series, in which she played the mother of a technology-obsessed teen. She was also set to be in the new Grudge movie, which is currently in post-production for release in 2020.

Bichir was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in 2012 for his role in Chris Weitz’s A Better Life. He has also appeared in films like The Hateful Eight, Che: Guerrilla and Sex, Shame & Tears.