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Cheryl Strayed, the acclaimed author best known for her memoir “Wild,” has disclosed that her husband, filmmaker Brian Lindstrom, is facing a “serious, fatal illness.”
The 57-year-old writer, whose life story was brought to the big screen in 2014 with Reese Witherspoon portraying her, expressed her regret to fans as she announced the cancellation of her upcoming appearances to prioritize her husband’s health. Strayed and Lindstrom have been married for 25 years.
On Thursday, Strayed took to Instagram to share the heartbreaking news. “My beloved husband Brian has been diagnosed with a serious, fatal illness,” she wrote.
She continued by explaining, “For that reason, I had to cancel my writing workshop at Kripalu and also my appearance at Hunter College this week. My apologies to those who had planned to attend. Right now, my sole focus is on being with my family and tending to our broken hearts.”
“My apologies to those of you who made plans to be there. I simply cannot do anything but be with my family right now and see to our broken hearts.
“I ask that you hold us in your thoughts, prayers, light and love.”
Strayed said it may feel “emotionally dissonant” to see her posting “cheerful clips” from her podcast, “Mind Over Mountain,” amid the news.
“Those interviews, which I loved doing, were recorded previously, in easier, happier times,” she clarified.
Strayed is the author of “Torch,” “Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail,” “Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar” and “Brave Enough.”
“Tiny Beautiful Things,” based on her advice column, was adapted into a 2023 Hulu series starring Kathryn Hahn, while “Wild” earned Witherspoon an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Strayed during her Pacific Crest Trail hike.
Documentarian Lindstrom is known for directing 2013’s “Alien Boy: The Life and Death of James Chasse” and 2022’s “Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill.”
He and Strayed also co-directed the 2019 film “We Are Forbidden.”
The couple met in 1995 and shares two adult children, Bobbi Strayed Lindstrom and Carver Strayed Lindstrom.
“Met this beautiful man 27 years ago today — literally half my lifetime ago,” Strayed wrote in a 2022 Facebook post.
“The next day I wrote in my journal: ‘I met a man named Brian Lindstrom last night. I don’t know who he is, but I think he’ll be someone to me.’ Little did I know how right I’d be. And how lucky.”
Strayed has frequently spoken about her husband’s support throughout her career.
“There’s no doing it without him,” she told The Great Discontent in 2012.
“When I was writing ‘Torch,’ he believed in me more than I believed in myself. He’s always, always, always been there for me, every time I needed him. He encourages me. He believes in me.”
“He’s an amazing person and an amazing filmmaker,” she added.
“Many people ask us if we’re jealous of each other or competitive because we’re both artists. We’re always mystified by that because we support each other in every way.”