Sarah Jessica Parker’s Silence On Willie Garson’s Death Was A Moving Statement

After taking several days to grieve privately, Sarah Jessica Parker paid tribute to Willie Garson, her Sex and the City co-star and longtime friend, in a poignant Instagram post. The And Just Like That… star initially shared that she was “not ready” on Sept. 22, a day after Garson’s son, Nathen, announced his father’s death at 57 years old from pancreatic cancer. Then, on Sept. 24, Parker posted a carousel of photos from their 30-plus years of friendship, writing that the loss has “been unbearable.”

The Divorce alum explained her days of silence, saying that “sometimes silence is a statement.” For her, that silence reflected “the magnitude of the loss of a 30 + year friendship.” Parker and Garson’s close bond formed when they played onscreen friends Carrie Bradshaw and Stanford Blatch on Sex and the City. In her tribute, she recalled “a real friendship that allowed for secrets, adventure, a shared professional family, truth, concerts, road trips, meals, late night phone calls, a mutual devotion to parenthood and all the heartaches and joy that accompany, triumphs, disappointments, fear, rage and years spent on sets ... and laughing late into the night.”

Parker also addressed Garson directly, saying she will miss everything about him and cherish and revisit their phone calls, texts, and final moments together. “Your absence a crater that I will fill with blessing of these memories and all the ones that are still in recesses yet to surface,” she wrote.

The deep loss is also felt by Garson’s son, Nathen, and Parker made sure to acknowledge him, too. She sent her “love and deepest sympathies and condolences,” letting him know that Garson’s “greatest achievement was being [his] Papa.” Nathen had previously shared his own pride for his father, writing on Instagram on Sept. 21, “I’m so glad you got to share all your adventures with me and were able to accomplish so much.”

Garson was among the Sex and the City stars who returned for the sequel series, And Just Like That…, alongside Bradshaw, Kristin Davis (Charlotte), Cynthia Nixon (Miranda), Mario Cantone (Anthony), and Evan Handler (Harry). Not surprisingly, many of his co-stars, past and present, were quick to honor him — as both a friend and a colleague. Nixon called him “a source of light, friendship and show business lore,” while Davis wrote about how they met prior to SATC and how he was “beloved by our entire community.” Though not part of the reboot, Kim Cattrall (Samantha) called his death “a terribly sad loss to the SATC family.”

In the weeks prior to his death, ​Garson was filming And Just Like That…, as Deadline reported on Sept. 22. The team has yet to comment on whether they’d finished his scenes or how the story may be affected, but the series will hopefully give both the beloved actor and character a final chance to shine.