Bret Hanna-Shuford, a former Broadway performer and prominent social media influencer, has passed away at the age of 46.

His husband, Stephen Hanna-Shuford, shared the heartbreaking news on January 3rd via their joint Instagram account, “Broadway Husbands.” In his statement, Stephen expressed, “With heavy hearts, we announce that early this morning, we bid farewell to the most incredible man, husband, and Papa in the universe. Bret Hanna-Shuford left us peacefully, surrounded by family and love. Although our hearts are shattered, we are committed to making him proud.”

Bret is survived by his husband Stephen and their 3-year-old son, Maverick. Last year, he was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoma, a rare type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that affects the lymphoid tissues, including lymph nodes and the spleen, according to the Lymphoma Research Foundation.

Reflecting on his health battle, Bret shared on Instagram in September 2025, “It’s officially been a month since I visited the hospital and went through a series of [misdiagnoses] before discovering my T-Cell Lymphoma. The journey has been frustrating, yet I finally feel there is a solution. The road to recovery will be longer than I anticipated.”

In remembrance, Us Weekly honors the memory of Bret, alongside other stars who left us too soon, such as Amy Winehouse, Prince, and Whitney Houston. Their untimely departures continue to resonate deeply.

Bret resided at a local hospital while undergoing treatment, including chemotherapy, this fall.

“Happy Thanksgiving! So grateful that we got to spend some time together today with papa at the hospital,” Stephen wrote via Instagram in November 2025. “We are hopeful about his new treatment.”

Weeks later, Stephen visited Bret to celebrate the Christmas holiday.

“We are so grateful for your love and support,” they wrote in a joint post last month. “Looking forward to a new year and hope to see you all soon.”

After announcing Bret’s death, several members of their theatrical community offered their condolences.

“This news is absolutely heartbreaking and I’m so so sorry for your loss,” Busy Philipps wrote via Instagram comment on Saturday. “You both have brought such light and beauty and hilarity into the world and I’m just sending you and your family so much love and my deepest condolences.”

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Sharna Burgess, for her part, said that she was “devastated” to hear of Bret’s death.

“I am devastated hearing this. I am so so sorry. Sending you and Maverick so much love and courage and strength,” Burgess, 40, replied. “You are an extraordinary human and father and husband and Maverick is so lucky to have you with him. Brett will always be with you.”

Beanie Feldstein, Michael Buckley, Ryan Ratelle, Keiko Lynn and Kara Lindsay also offered their support in the comments section.

“Oh my heart just broke into a million pieces,” Broadway vet Lindsay, who battled stage II breast cancer in 2024, wrote. “Bret, you are so loved and will be missed here on earth. Praying for you, Stephen, and your sweet son. I’m so very sorry for your loss.”

Playwright and director Tim Federle also remembered working with Bret in their early careers.

“Endless crazy costumes and inside jokes with the infinite @bretshuford, who we’ve lost but will never be forgotten,” Federle, 45, wrote via his Instagram Stories on Saturday. “We were dancing fish together and understudies and dressing roommates, and he left a handprint on a lot of hearts.”