Sarah Palin has lost her longtime boyfriend, Ron Duguay, who died at 69 after a battle with colon cancer. Palin remained by his side throughout his illness.
The former Alaska governor announced his death Thursday in an emotional social media tribute. “It is with a shattered heart, but also deep peace knowing Ron is with Jesus now. He fought so hard. Love never ends,” she wrote.
Duguay, a celebrated NHL figure and former New York Rangers star, was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer in December 2024. The cancer later spread to his liver.
Palin and Duguay began dating in 2022. Following his diagnosis, she spoke openly about their relationship and the support she provided during his cancer treatment.
Just days before his death, Palin asked the public to pray for Duguay in a heartfelt post featuring a photo of her at his hospital bedside.
Duguay, meanwhile, frequently expressed his gratitude for Palin and the care she gave him during his illness.
In March, he posted a selfie of the couple, wearing a hospital gown and cap as he recovered from treatment.
“@SarahPalinUSA was with me during my most difficult time, sleeping next to me in a chair for 5 days while i was recovering,” Duguay wrote.
The former Alaska governor announced Duguay’s death Thursday in an emotional social media post
Palin and Duguay began dating in 2022 and publicly supported each other through a deeply challenging period
Palin previously revealed what she admired most about Duguay and said he was “really handsome”
Duguay’s daughter, Shay Thomas, also frequently accompanied him to medical appointments and treatments.
A little more than a month ago, on September 6, he shared a touching photograph with Shay and his ex-wife, Robin Bobo.
“Reunited with my ex wife Robin and daughter @ShayThomas_,” Duguay wrote in the post.
Palin spoke publicly about her relationship with Duguay after the couple began dating in 2022.
She told The New York Post that, following her 2020 divorce from Todd Palin, she had not been seriously considering dating again.
That changed when she called Duguay and asked him to show her around New York City as she prepared to take The New York Times to court.
Palin alleged that a 2017 New York Times op-ed falsely suggested her political rhetoric had contributed to a 2011 mass shooting in Arizona. In April 2025, a Manhattan federal judge ruled that the newspaper was not liable for defamation.
As Duguay showed his longtime friend around the city, their relationship gradually became more personal.
“Ron is the first person that I’ve ever even talked to about a lot of this personal stuff,” Palin told the Post in 2022.
‘So it’s been helpful and refreshing to have Ron to talk to about not just politics, because he’s got more common sense in his little finger than the collective in DC, but just about life.’
Duguay also attended court with Palin during the trial for her case against The New York Times.
During the interview, Palin shared what she admired most about her boyfriend.
MUST READ: Georgia Town’s Police Force, City Manager Resign Amid Allegations
‘He is French Canadian by birth but he has been here for decades. In a lot of ways he is more patriotic, more pro-America, more pro-freedom than a lot of people I know, and that includes a lot of politicians serving America,’ she stated.
She also noted his good looks, calling Duguay ‘really handsome.’
Duguay played 12 seasons in the NHL for the New York Rangers, the Detroit Red Wings, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Los Angeles Kings.
He married his ex-wife, Bobo, in December 1983, and they share two daughters.
Duguay attended court with Palin during the trial for her case against The New York Times
Just a little over a month ago, on September 6, he shared a heartwarming photo of him with Shay and his ex-wife Robin Bobo
The hockey star then went on to wed fashion model Kim Alexis and moved to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. They divorced in 2016.
Duguay’s family announced his diagnosis back in February, setting up a GoFundMe page to help raise funds to support his treatment.
‘Because of his cancer, he hasn’t been able to work the way he normally would,’ his daughter wrote on the fundraising page.
‘Earlier in his treatment journey, the care he received in Florida nearly cost him his life. That led us to bring him to Orange County, where my sister and I live, so he could receive treatment here.’
Duguay was rushed to the hospital in July after being found unconscious at home following a fall that left him with severe facial injuries.
The hockey icon fainted at his residence on July 24 before being transported by ambulance to a nearby medical facility.
Extensive medical testing revealed severe underlying complications tied to his ongoing cancer battle, including varices, portal hypertensive gastropathy, internal bleeding and an ulcer.
His daughter Shay revealed at the time that the cancer in his liver – combined with the physical toll of surgery, chemotherapy, and a hepatic pump – caused severe pressure to build up inside the organ, backing up into his stomach and causing internal bleeding.
Palin shared a photo of her holding Duguay’s arm as he lay in a hospital bed
The hockey icon fainted at his residence on July 24 before being transported by ambulance to a nearby medical facility
Before her relationship with Duguay, Palin was married to Todd for 31 years.
She and Todd, who were high school sweethearts, share five children together – Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper and Trig.
Their relationship was hit with scandals over the years, including when Palin was accused of having an alleged affair while married to Todd.
In the book The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin, author Joe McGinniss said that Palin had an alleged one-night stand with college basketball star Glen Rice while she was working as a sports reporter in Anchorage, Alaska.
That same book also accused her of having a six-month-long affair with Brad Hanson, Todd’s former business partner, in the 1990s.
Both Palin and her ex-husband have denied the extramarital affair claims. Hanson also said the claims were false.