Sophie, Luke Perry’s 18-year-old daughter, had to cut short a charity trip in Africa in order to rush home to her father’s side after he had suffered a massive stroke last Wednesday.
Luckily, she made it in time to join the rest of her family and close friends at Perry’s bedside before the Beverly Hills 90210 star passed away Monday morning.
Just hours before Perry had suffered the stroke that led to his death, Sophie posted an image of a dirt road in Malawi where she was doing charity work.
She shared a photo of herself and her father on Tuesday, writing: “I’m not really sure what to say or do in this situation, it’s something you aren’t ever given a lesson on how to handle, especially when it’s all happening in the public eye.
“So bear with me and know that I am grateful for all the love. Just, being grateful quietly.
“A lot has happened in this past week for me. Everything is happening so fast. I made it back from Malawi just in time to be here with my family.
“And in the past 24 hours, I have received an overwhelming amount of love and support.
“I cannot individually respond to the hundreds of beautiful and heartfelt messages, but I see them, and appreciate you all for sending positivity to my family and me.”
Perry’s 21-year-old son had posted a picture on Instagram promoting his upcoming wrestling match a day before the 52-year-old actor’s hospitalization. Perry has been a huge fan of his son and had been cheering him on during his son’s matches.
“Luke was really proud of both his son and his daughter. [Sophie] was actually in Africa helping children and had to rush home quite suddenly,” said a close friend of Perry.
Sophie has been working with One World Center and posted a video in September describing, saying: “I’m in a group of eight people, seven of us are going to Africa and one of us is going to Brazil.
“We’re going to be there for six months, and we’re going to be working on community development projects. These can range from teaching teachers, building schools, helping with agriculture, providing water purification, all types of good stuff.”
Arnold Robinson, Perry’s publicist, announced in a statement that Perry was “surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiancée Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, step-father Steve Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder, and other close family and friends,” when he passed away on Monday morning following a massive stroke.
“The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning,” Robinson wrote.
The actor’s death came shortly after Fox announced that 90210 was returning for a reboot that included the original cast members. Perry’s character Dylan McKay was supposed to make a surprise appearance.
At an awards show in Los Angeles in 2017, Perry was excited at the prospect of a 90210 reboot.
He said back then: “I am excited and enough time has gone by, and it was something Aaron Spelling wanted to do while he was alive.
“To get back together with all these guys I would love it.”
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