Actor Wilson Cruz Lost Family Member in Orlando Massacre
The "My So-Called Life" actor said he is "devastated."
— -- Wilson Cruz opened up on social media and to Entertainment Tonight about losing a member of his family in the Orlando club shooting that occurred this past Sunday.
The actor, 42, from past hits like "My So-Called Life" explained that Brenda McCool was his mother's stepsister and died in the deadliest mass shooting in American history.
"Brenda went to Pulse the way she frequently did, with her 21-year-old openly gay son, Isaiah," Cruz told ET. "They loved to go there on that night because it was Latin night and they could be with their friends, dance salsa and find refuge in a safe space."
Cruz said "that joy" and that refuge was taken away after the massacre that left 49 dead and more than 50 injured.
"We are devastated," he added.
Cruz also took to Facebook late this weekend to pay homage to McCool with a picture.
"This was the last time I saw Brenda McCool. She was with us when our grandfather passed this passed [sic] fall," he wrote. "She was a fighter. A cancer survivor. A stellar mother. A proud and fierce advocate for her LGBT family."
He added about the victim, "She spoke passionately about how much she loved her children. She was hilarious and loving and tore up the dance floor when salsa or anything was playing. I can't believe she's gone."
Cruz also Tweeted about the GoFundMe page for the victims and their families.
He has expressed his solidarity with those in Florida trying to cope.