Comedian Rob Delaney got candid about grief on Christmas.
In February, the 41-year-old “Catastrophe” star announced that his 2-year-old son Henry had died in January after being diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016. In 2017, doctors successfully removed the tumor, but the cancer returned.
On Wednesday, Delaney wrote a heartbreaking thread on Twitter about spending the holidays without Henry for the first time, and he didn’t sugarcoat his feelings.
“Our first Christmas without Henry came & went,” wrote Delaney, who has two other sons with his wife, Leah. “The day itself was okay, maybe because there were so many horrible, painful days leading up to it; we must have hit our quota or something. We talked about him a lot & included his memory throughout the day.”
Delaney went on to explain why he was posting his raw emotions on the internet for many to read.
“I speak publicly about Henry in an effort to destigmatize grief,” he wrote, adding: “Why wouldn’t we be sad? Why wouldn’t we be angry and confused?”
“Tweets like this aren’t therapeutic to me, nor are they ‘updates,’” he explained. “I just want other bereaved parents & siblings to feel seen/heard/respected/loved. And maybe they might help someone not schooled in grief support a friend better. I don’t know.”
He concluded the thread with a sweet photo of Henry looking through a glass at a tiger.
Many people, including celebrities, reached out to Delaney on Twitter to show some support.
Many grieving parents also shared their own experiences of loss with Delaney. He responded to some with kind words.
When Delaney announced Henry’s death in February, he spoke lovingly of his son.
“Henry was a joy,” he wrote. “He was smart, funny, and mischievous and we had so many wonderful adventures together, particularly after he’d moved home following fifteen months living in hospitals.”
He concluded:
“Thank you, beautiful Henry, for spending as much time with us as you did. We miss you so much.”