Broadway performer and influencer Bret Hanna-Shuford has died at 46, less than five months after being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive combination of immune and blood cancers.
His husband, Stephen Hanna-Shuford, confirmed to People that Bret passed away in the early hours of Saturday, January 3, surrounded by family.
Hanna-Shuford was widely known to theater fans for his extensive stage career and to social media audiences through Broadway Husbands, the platform he shared with Stephen that documented their life as a married couple and parents to their young son, Maverick.
Onstage, Hanna-Shuford built a résumé that spanned major Broadway and touring productions, including Wicked, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Amazing Grace.
He also appeared in South Pacific at Lincoln Center, Ragtime, Next to Normal, Paramour with Cirque du Soleil, and the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
In the summer of 2025, Hanna-Shuford was diagnosed with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) alongside peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL).
HLH is a rare condition in which the immune system becomes dangerously overactive, causing widespread inflammation and potential organ failure.
PTCL is an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma that affects T-cells, a critical part of the immune system, and is often associated with HLH, making treatment especially complex. Hanna-Shuford’s cancer was CD30-negative, reducing the effectiveness of targeted therapies.
As his illness progressed, Hanna-Shuford spent months hospitalized, including through the fall and winter holidays. Despite the severity of his condition, he continued sharing updates when possible, expressing gratitude for the support he received from fellow performers, friends, and followers. He had paused graduate studies at the University of Central Florida to focus on treatment.
In August 2025, a GoFundMe was launched to help the family manage mounting medical bills, household expenses, and the financial strain of stepping away from work during treatment.