Photo: Getty
Rest in peace, Shad Gaspard.
By Bernadette Giacomazzo — Written on May 20, 2020
As one-half of the tag-team duo Cryme Tyme, Shad Gaspard's time in the WWE was brief but memorable. Even after he was released from his contract with the McMahon family, Gaspard enjoyed time as a wrestler on the independent circuit, and even fought in Japan for a while.
However, he has sadly now died as a result of a horrifying tragedy.
How did Shad Gaspard die?
Let's look at the details as they continue to unfold.
Shad Gaspard was caught in a rip current last weekend.
On Sunday, May 17, 2020, Gaspard and a group of his friends went swimming in Los Angeles when he was caught in a rip current. He was with his 10-year-old son, Aryeh. When lifeguards arrived, Gaspard told them to focus on getting his son to safety — which, thankfully, they did. However, when the guards returned to get Gaspard, he was gone.
His body was recovered this morning.
On Wednesday, May 20, 2020, at about 1:30 a.m. local time, a concerned citizen was walking on Venice Beach when he discovered a body. The citizen, who has not been identified, immediately called law enforcement, who identified the body as that of Gaspard.
On the day Gaspard went missing, law enforcement engaged in a number of rescues.
Gaspard, unfortunately, was not the only person to get stuck in the rip current on the Los Angeles beaches on Sunday, May 17th. According to law enforcement officials, lifeguards and other members of search & rescue operations engaged in over 100 rescues. Law enforcement also claimed that Sunday, May 17th, was one of the roughest days for the waters of the season, due to the bad weather that was prevalent in the area.
Gaspard leaves behind a wife and a son.
A native of Brooklyn, NY, Gaspard leaves behind his 10-year-old son, Aryeh, and his wife, Siliana. While the search efforts were ongoing, Siliana Gaspard issued a statement thanking the Los Angeles County law enforcement officials for their efforts. "We would like to express our gratitude to the first responders who rescued Aryeh and to the lifeguards, coast guard, divers, fire and police departments for their continued efforts to help find our beloved Shad,” the statement said.
After he left wrestling behind, he was a sometime actor.
Wrestling can be tough on the mind and body so it's no surprise that like many wrestlers before him, Gaspard went on to have a career in the world of acting. He had a few notable television appearances — including on the hit comedy Key & Peele — and starred opposite Kevin Hart in the hit film, Get Hard.
No funeral arrangements have been made public as of yet.
As of this writing, no funeral arrangements for Gaspard have been made public. However, we will keep you posted if anything changes.
For now, however, fans are contenting themselves with sharing their grief about Gaspard's death on social media, where he instantly became a trending topic when it was announced that his body was recovered. The WWE issued a statement expressing their condolences to Gaspard's family. Film critic Travis Hopson said that Gaspard was "an all-around good dude" who loved his family. Radio host Peter Rosenberg said that he wished he could have gotten to know him, and many other fans said that he would always be remembered as a "hero" for saving his son first from the riptide.
Our thoughts are with Shad Gaspard's family and friends during this difficult time.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in Teen Vogue, People, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, BET.com, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising series and is the CEO of the acclaimed G-Force Marketing & Publicity firm, which has been featured in The Hollywood Reporter and has scored film, television, radio, and print placements for celebrity clientele worldwide.