‘Willy Wonka’ and ‘Dark Shadows’ Star Denise Nickerson Dies 1 Year After Suffering a Severe Stroke

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory star Denise Nickerson has sadly died one year after suffering a severe stroke in June 2018. “She’s gone,” Denise’s son Josh Nickerson, and his wife, Jasmine, announced in a Facebook post on Wednesday, July 10. She was 62 years old.

The actress — known for playing sassy Violet Beauregarde in the popular film — was recently taken off life support after she had another “major medical emergency” on Monday, July 8, and had to be rushed to the ICU.

“She’s had seizures this morning and is in pulmonary and respiratory distress,” Josh and Jasmine previously wrote on Facebook one day after they took her to the emergency room.

“The doctor is playing it by ear basically. They’re just keeping her comfortable but it’s just matter of time at this point,” they said on Facebook, shortly before her death. “She’s not really breathing on her own. Specifically, she’s not exhaling.”

Josh admitted that he and his family made the tough decision to take his mother off life support because they realized that she was in a “coma-like state” and there was nothing her medical “equipment” could do for her.

“They just took off all the equipment. None of it was helping, but making her only more uncomfortable. We’re telling her it’s okay to let go,” he and his wife said, but sadly, Josh couldn’t bear letting his mother go.

“Josh is not OK at all. He’s never really experienced a major loss like this,” his wife shared before her mother-in-law passed. “I’m just trying to support him as best I can. Please send him love or words of comfort. He is just coming to terms with the reality of the situation and doesn’t know how to process it. He says to me a few minutes ago that she won’t ever get to see or hold or know her granddaughter.”

In March, Jasmine announced that she and Josh were expecting a child. Even though Denise won’t be able to meet her precious granddaughter, she did tell the couple that she was “very excited” for Jasmine’s pregnancy.

Hollywood has lost yet another great star.