Zachary Levi is mourning the loss of his father, Darrell Pugh, who died after a brave battle against cancer. The 42-year-old star shared the news about his father’s death on Sunday (Jan. 29). The announcement comes after Zachary faced massive backlash for his tweet against Pfizer.
Zachary Mourns The Loss Of Papa-D…
Zachary Levi, who is set to return in his titular character in “Shazam! Fury of the Gods”, shared the sad news of his father, Darrel Pugh. The 42-year-old actor announced on Sunday (Jan. 29) that his dad passed away following a brave battle with cancer. The “Shazam!” star noted that Papa-D passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family and friends.
He captioned his note: “Hug those you love. Hug ‘em tight. Talk about everything you need to talk about. Say all the things. And when the time comes, release them to journey back to where it all began. Back to paradise. A place we’ll all be so lucky to return to someday.”
In his note, the “Shazam!” actor wrote: “Papa D– Many of you have been asking for an update on my dad, Darrell. Though he fought valiantly until the end, my pop passed away peacefully a few days ago, surrounded by friends and family,” he wrote.
“Watching anyone slowly die of cancer is one of the worst experiences I can attest to. But knowing that he’s no longer trapped in his decaying body, and now singing karaoke in heaven, gives me so much peace and joy,” he continued in his heartfelt note.
“And, knowing how many of you were continuously sending him love, thoughts, and prayers gives me even more faith in humanity. Know that he felt and appreciated it all, as did our whole family. Thank you for your overwhelming kindness thru such a difficult time. Sending you all endless love and light right back,” Zachary concluded his note.
Fans and celebrities quickly took to the comment section to share their condolences. Mandy Moore wrote, “Sending you and your family all my love, Zac.” Jai Courtney wrote, “Sending love brother.” Ryan McPartlin wrote, “Love to you and your fam brother! ❤️”
Zachary’s Recent Anti-Vax Tweet…
The news of Zachary’s dad comes hours after the 42-year-old faced massive backlash for his anti-vax tweet regarding Pfizer. When posed by a question by Lyndon Wood on Twitter: “Do you agree or not, that Pfizer is a real danger to the world?” ZL’s quickly responded, “Hardcore agree!”
The “Chuck” star also shared a link to a 2009 statement from the Department of Justice announcing that Pfizer paid $2.3 Billion in a settlement for “fraudulent marketing over misbranding an inflammatory drug”. Zachary was labelled as a right-winger by some people on Twitter, while some even decided to cancel the star.
One wrote, “‘Okay, one less movie ticket to spend money on. Stupid.’ However, some sided with the star and praised his bold stance. “Crazy how it takes courage to say what all normal people are thinking, but between @ZacharyLevi and @DjokerNole, I feel like role models still do exist!’ wrote one Twitter user. The “Pfizer” statement came as a PR nightmare as Zachary is set to promote his upcoming “Shazam!” sequel. “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” releases on March 17, 2023.
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