Of the 6,000 fans that gathered outside a Chicago church last week to bid farewell to actor Bernie Mac more than half wondered why his publicist continually fed false health updates to the media during his hospitalization.
The comedian’s rep is remaining mum, but Mac’s widow recently went public with her reaction to her beloved husband’s death.
Just a few days ago Mac’s wife of 30 years spoke to reporters and admitted that initially she didn’t think much of her late husband’s trip to the hospital. As she tells it, the comedian had a fever and trouble breathing, but didn’t display other symptoms. Days later, when Bernie’s condition didn’t improve she began to fear the worst.
“He didn’t look good to me and I knew this could be it,” Rhonda said.
The 50-year-old “Ocean’s Thirteen” star suffered from sarcoidosis, an immune system disorder that can affect the lungs, but his official cause of death was listed as “pneumonia.”
Rhonda says Mac put up an incredible fight, but in the end the “Pride” star simply didn’t have the energy to sustain the complications ravaging his body.
During their last exchange a day before his death, Rhonda says she stood vigil by Mac’s bed. “I said, ‘Hey Bernard. How are you?’ and I kissed his forehead,” she recalls. “He shrugged his shoulders, like ‘I’m tired’ and I said, ‘I know you’re tired.’ Later on that night, it took a turn for the worse.”
Rhonda and Bernie Mac wed in 1977 when both were 19-years-old. Their daughter Je’Niece was born the following year.
On a much lighter note, parting has been anything but sweet for country singer Carrie Underwood… at least if you believe recent reports.
The Internet is on fire with allegations that pop star Jessica Simpson has it out for Underwood after the former “American Idol” winner insinuated that she still keeps in touch with Simpson’s football star boyfriend Tony Romo.
In September’s issue of Allure, Underwood blabs that she was having a hard time moving on after her split from Romo in 2006 (within months of the parting Romo hooked up with Simpson) and still keeps in touch with the Dallas Cowboys player saying: “The phone will ring and it’ll be him, and I’ll maybe not answer.”
But Simpson denies the reports. “Tony and I both laughed at that,” the former Mrs. Nick Lachey announced on a radio show yesterday. “If Tony wanted to call her and be with her, he would.” And besides, Simpson boasted, “I looked at his call log.”
Meow!