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Nick Cordero’s wife Amanda Kloots opens up about ‘beautiful and perfect’ memorial: ‘His spirit was definitely there’

‘Truly, I am scared. Scared of my new normal, of the pain, the loss and being strong enough to get through it’

Clémence Michallon
New York City
Monday 13 July 2020 14:46 BST
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Amanda Kloots writes letter to son Elvis following death of Nick Cordero

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Amanda Kloots says she and a few loved ones paid tribute to her late husband Nick Cordero during a “beautiful”, intimate memorial.

Kloots shared a few details from the gathering in an Instagram post on Sunday.

Cordero, 41, died of Covid-19 complications on 5 July.

“We had a small memorial yesterday with close family and friends,” Kloots wrote on Instagram.

“I said, ‘Nick would have wanted this to be a celebration. Let’s try to laugh, share great stories and sing for him and to his memory.’

“He would have loved it. It was beautiful and perfect. His spirit was definitely there.”

Kloots said the song “I’m Here” from the Broadway production of The Color Purple played during the memorial. She recounted that she and Cordero saw the musical together “years ago”, leaving the theater “speechless” and “in tears”.

“Truly, I am scared. Scared of my new normal, of the pain, the loss and being strong enough to get through it,” she added.

“But, I know Nick is up above rooting for me, believing in me and hoping for me. He wants me to LIVE this new life and he wants me to be the best version of myself for our son. I promised him in the hospital that I would try to do that.”

Kloots, a former Broadway dancer who now works as a trainer, pledged to use the song as a “motto” to get through the challenges ahead.

“This is a long journey ahead and a down road I never thought I’d be on. No one can tell me how to do it, I have to do it. I may do things right, I may do them wrong. There isn’t a perfect way. One day, one step at a time. I have faith that God is leading the way and that Nick is our angel,” she wrote.

Kloots, who has a one-year-old son with Cordero, shared updates regarding Cordero’s health throughout his treatment.

The Tony nominee’s illness and death have prompted a wave of support across the entertainment industry. A Go Fund Me page created for the family has raised more than $1m.

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