Widow of late Broadway star Nick Cordero breaks down in tears as she hosts heart-breaking singalong

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The wife of late Broadway star Nick Cordero broke down in tears as she mourned the loss of her husband in a moving musical tribute Monday, just one day after he died following a tumultuous 94-day battle with COVID-19. 

Amanda Kloots took to Instagram Live earlier this afternoon to perform a heart-breaking rendition of Cordero’s original song, ‘Live Your Life’, for the final time- a daily tradition she’s upheld since the actor was first hospitalized in March.

In the weeks before his death, Kloots also urged her followers to singe along with her, in the hope her ailing husband would be able to feel their support from afar.

Though Kloots says she was unsure ‘what Nick could see or understand’, she always told him about the thousands of people sending love his way, and willing him to get better. 

As part of Monday’s broadcast, she also thanked her followers for their support during Cordero’s months-long hospitalization, crediting them for helping to make his ultimate dream of becoming a rock star a reality. 

‘We played this song a lot yesterday in Nick’s room with him and we were singing to him and I kept telling him that he had the whole world singing his song and knowing who he was and what kind of an amazing person he was,’ a tearful Kloots said, wiping away tears beneath her sunglasses.

‘I just wanted him to know that his dream of becoming a rock star happened. And sometimes your dreams happen and you don’t get to fully embrace them, but Nick’s dream of becoming a rock star definitely happened and it was because of you guys.’

Kloots, who married Cordero in 2017, added that the daily tradition ‘always’ provided her with a sense of comfort too, helping her through her darkest of times.

‘There were days when I did not think I could get on social media and sing but I always felt better after I did. … It always made me feel better. Singing and dancing is an amazing way to have some therapy in your life,’ she said. 

Less than 24 hours earlier, Kloots announced the tragic passing of Cordero, aged 41, on Instagram. Together they share a one-year-old son named Elvis.

In her emotional statement, she said she was still in a state of ‘disbelief’ and called Cordero a bright light who she couldn’t believe who no longer be in her or Elvis’ life.

‘Life throws so many things at you,’ Kloots reflected Monday. ‘It could be this awful virus like Nick had, you could lose your job, you could fight with a family member … all these things in your life that could give you hell. … Keep fighting, keep singing, keep dancing, keep living.

‘Thank you so much for all your support. I really, really, really appreciate it,’ Kloots concluded, struggling to hold back tears.

‘Nick left this earth with people around him that he loved, listening to music. I don’t think he would have wanted anything else, so I think we gave him a good send-off. I’ll miss him every day of my life, that’s for sure.’

Earlier Monday the mother-of-one opened up about her devastating loss, writing in a post: ‘How do you get through the hardest time in your life? Family.’

‘I woke up to this video my sister made for me. She titled it, The Silver Linings. I have always been lucky to have a family that loves to be together and to support each other.

‘I’m even luckier to have Nicks family and extended family that are the same. This video captures these last 95 days,’ she added.

The video compilation captures snippets of each day from April 20 to June 28 showing Kloots’ siblings, baby Elvis playing, workouts, dinners at the table, laughter and spontaneous dancing – all glimpses of how her family supported her through the difficult journey.

In one clip Kloots is seen lying on a bed at a hospital visiting Cordero.

‘They did all of this for Nick, Elvis and I- selfless time from their lives to be with us. In times of trauma, look for the silver linings. Spend time with family. Smile through the tears. Have faith when things seem impossible. Love one another,’ she shared.

Every day that Cordero was in the hospital Kloots hosted a sing and dance challenge on Instagram encouraging followers to join in using the hashtag #offthevent, encouraging Cordero to make it off a ventilator in the hospital and recover.

Cordero was first admitted to Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Hospital in late March after initially being diagnosed with pneumonia.

Kloots revealed on March 31 that her husband was in intensive care and was having a ‘hard time breathing’. Days later, doctors confirmed Cordero was suffering from coronavirus after being tested three times, testing negative on the first two occasions.

Kloots was unable to be at Cordero’s side in the hospital at the time, due to coronavirus safety guidelines and visitor restrictions at the hospital.

Initially, Cordero’s symptoms were intermittent. In an interview with Buzzfeed at the time, Kloots said the Broadway star ‘could not get out of bed, so tired, no energy, that was really his only symptom.’

But his condition soon took a drastic turn for the worse, and shortly after being admitted to the hospital, Cordero was placed on a ventilator by doctors.

‘He said, “I love you, they have decided to put me on a ventilator with a breathing tube and I’m gonna go unconscious and I don’t know when I’ll wake up, and I don’t know when I’ll be able to talk to you again,’ Kloots told the outlet.

Though his health initially stabilized, by April 10 Kloots saying he was ‘fighting for his life’.

In the hours that followed, Kloots was told Cordero needed to immediately undergo emergency surgery after the ventilator he was placed on to support his heart and lungs was found to be obstructing blood flow to his right leg.

Cordero made it out of the surgery alive, however Kloots said at the time that he was ‘struggling’ and remained in a medically induced coma.

The following week, the star had to have his right leg amputated on April 18 after suffering from blood clots.

On April 24, Kloots shared that Cordero has tested negative for COVID-19, but within hours doctors were forced to install a temporary pacemaker after he began experiencing irregular heartbeats.

The father-of-one then contracted a lung infection that spread into his bloodstream, causing septic shock, Kloots said.

She was later told that her husband’s lungs had been so severely damaged by the virus that it was ‘almost like he’s been a smoker for 50 years’.

‘They’re that damaged,’ Kloots said of her husband’s lungs on April 30. ‘There are holes in his lungs where obviously you don’t want holes to be.’

Cordero then underwent a tracheotomy procedure and, two weeks later, he awoke from his medically induced coma on May 12.

He was said to be ‘extremely weak, so weak that he can’t close his mouth.’ However, Kloots says he was responding to instructions which suggested his ‘mental status is coming back’.

But Cordero continued to suffer various issues in his lungs. Despite doctors ‘cleaning out’ his lungs daily, Kloots said her husband was ‘not getting better’.

While admitted at hospital, Nick also endured numerous other complications, including two small strokes.

In June, Kloots was finally able to visit Cordero in hospital for the first time nearly 80 days after he was first admitted.

‘He can’t talk because of the ventilator and he can’t move because he’s so weak,’ Kloots said in an Instagram post, sharing a photograph of her holding his hand. ‘But he’s awake and he’s in there. He can answer questions with yes or no with his eyes.’

Kloots also revealed that Cordero had lost 65 lbs during his battle with COVID-19, after his muscles began to atrophy due to a lack of movement. Cordero’s temporary pacemaker was then removed on July 2.

In a series of updates shared to Instagram this week, Amanda said that her husband was ‘doing slightly better’ after coming down from his blood pressure medication on Thursday.

A GoFundMe set up in April by Amanda’s friends has already reached $593,573 to help with medical costs which at the time ‘had already started coming in’ according to the description on the fundraising page.

She had also also revealed this week that she planned to refinance the couple’s LA home to pay for medical bills.

Before Cordero got sick in March, the couple, who married in 2017, had recently moved from New York to Los Angeles so the Broadway actor could star in Rock of Ages Hollywood.

In the hours following the news of his death, tributes from fellow Broadway stars and other celebrities began pouring in on social media.

‘Devastating. What a loss, what a light. Whole heart with Amanda and his family tonight,’ Hamilton star Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote on Twitter.

Actress Viola Davis penned a touching tribute to Cordero and remarked on the actor’s unimaginable battle on her Twitter page, as well.

‘RIP Nick Cordero! My condolences to you Amanda who fought and loved so hard….so sorry for his little one.

‘My heart is with you. May flights of angels,’ concluded the 54-year-old The Help star.

Cordero played the role of Earl in the original production of Sara Bareilles’ hit Broadway musical Waitress in 2016.

And Bareilles publicly grieved the loss of Nick on her Instagram page and described the late actor as ‘a light’ she was lucky to know.

‘He was light. Kind and gentle. Talented and humble. Funny and friendly. The best laugh. Sending so much love to the love warrior @amandakloots and little Elvis, and an immense hug to anyone who is feeling the loss of this giant heart. Rest In Peace dear Nick. We love you,’ she captioned.