Hilary Duff gave her fans chills when she debuted her comeback earlier this year. Now, just days into releasing her first album in a decade, the pop star is grieving the loss of a dear person from her childhood. On Monday (Feb. 23), she shared two throwback photos and a caption honoring Robert Carradine. Fans of Disney in the 2000s will remember him as her TV dad on the hit show, ‘Lizzie McGuire.’ Carradine’s family confirmed on Monday that he died at age 71.
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What Happened To Robert Carradine?
In a Tuesday statement, Robert Carradine’s family said he lived with bipolar disorder for two decades. His brother, Keith Carradine, told Deadline that Carradine died by suicide. The actor was the youngest of his prolific Hollywood family. His biggest hit was the 1984 comedy ‘Revenge of the Nerds,’ but many millennials remember him for his role as Lizzie McGuire’s dad on Disney Channel.
“We want people to know it, and there is no shame in it,” Keith Carradine told Deadline. “It is an illness that got the best of him, and I want to celebrate him for his struggle with it, and celebrate his beautiful soul. He was profoundly gifted, and we will miss him every day.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.
Known for both his film and television work, Robert Carradine worked steadily in the industry for over 40 years, starting in the ’70s. Despite his work with top-tier directors, he never gained the worldwide recognition of his more famous brothers Keith Carradine and the late David Carradine.
Hilary Duff Shares Touching Message About ‘Lizzie McGuire’ Dad
As mentioned, in the 2000s, Robert Carradine picked up a new generation of fans with the character, Sam McGuire. He played a corny but extremely loving dad to Lizzie, played by Hilary Duff, and a younger son. His character was married to Jo McGuire, played by Hallie Todd. On Monday, Hilary opened about how Robert Carradine and Hallie made her feel protected growing up on set. Her Instagram post included two photos with Robert, a solo shot and another of the McGuire family.
“This one hurts. It’s really hard to face this reality about an old friend. There was so much warmth in the McGuire family and I always felt so cared for by my on-screen parents. I’ll be forever grateful for that. I’m deeply sad to learn Bobby was suffering. My heart aches for him , his family, and everyone who loved him. 💔”
Robert Carradine’s Real-Life Daughter Shares Memories
Robert’s survivors include his three children, actor Ever Carradine, Marika Reed Carradine and Ian Alexander Carradine. On Monday, Ever confirmed her dad’s death in a lengthy Instagram caption about his love as a single parent. She was born in 1974 to Robert and Susan Synder.
“Whenever anyone asks me how I turned out so normal, I always tell them it’s because of my dad. I knew my dad loved me, I knew it deep in my bones, and I always knew he had my back,” Ever Carradine wrote on Instagram. “I think it’s partly because we basically grew up together. Twenty years age difference really isn’t that much, and while I never ever thought of him as a sibling, I did always think of him as my partner. We were in it together.”
In 1990, Robert Carradine married Edith Mani, whom he had his middle and youngest child with. After more than 25 years of marriage, they divorced following a 2015 car crash in Colorado. In her divorce documents, she claimed he admitted to her and their two kids that he “deliberately drove into the truck” to kill them both, per TMZ. She alleged he had been depressed after his brother, David, died by hanging in 2009. At the time, she had requested possession of his 17 guns out of fear he might hurt himself. They settled and finalized their split in 2018, per The Blast. He reportedly was allowed to keep his gun collection amid other possessions.
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AP Film Writer Lindsay Bahr contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
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