Walking Dead Actress Kelley Mack’s Cancer Relapsed Weeks Before Her Unexpected Death
The Walking Dead actress Kelley Mack’s cancer relapse struck just weeks after she seemed to be on the mend, leading to her passing on August 2 with family at her side.
I’m Kai Montgomery, rolling my eyes and here to impart some wisdom you can’t avoid.
Look, I don’t want to be the one to state the obvious, but this storyline ended far too soon. You’ve heard the headlines. Now here’s the grumpy guru breakdown.
In January, Kelley Mack publicly revealed a rare astrocytoma diagnosis after experiencing persistent pain in her lower back and legs last fall. Reports from TMZ and her own statements confirmed that the cancer, a subset of glioma affecting the nervous system, was initially identified through scans and clinical evaluation early this year.
By February, she had undergone aggressive treatment, including surgery and targeted therapy, and sources close to her told TMZ that she showed a “nice recovery.” During that period, Mack even managed to book voiceover work in June, demonstrating enough energy to audition remotely from a wheelchair—a practical nod to her resilience, according to a rep who spoke with TMZ.
Then, like an unwelcome plot twist, the disease relapsed out of nowhere. Family insiders report the cancer metastasized rapidly throughout her body over recent weeks, giving her a “quick end.” There was no creeping decline. One day she was setting up Zoom calls with casting directors, the next she was making peace with family on her own terms.
Despite the sudden turn, Mack stayed professionally engaged until early July. She filmed a commercial for Rakuten in April with her mother, Kristen, which continues to air, and wrapped a movie titled Universal last year, now making the film festival rounds. Even in her final weeks, industry contacts noted her determination to push auditions and voice gigs, embodying that unspoken creed of show business—never stop hustling.
Her rep confirmed in early June she was auditioning for mobility-impaired roles that matched her wheelchair status. Come July, she told her team she needed to pause auditions. No one expected this to be more than a temporary break. Then on August 2, Mack took her last breath “peacefully” at home in Glendale, Ohio, flanked by her mother and aunt Karen, TMZ reports.
She leaves behind her parents, Kristen and Lindsay Klebenow; sister Katherine; brother Parker; grandparents Lois and Larry Klebenow; aunt Karen; and her boyfriend, Logan Lanier. Plans for a celebration of life are set for August 16 in Glendale, with a second gathering in Los Angeles to follow.
And there you have it—another Hollywood script with a brutal twist nobody wanted. Keep an eye on upcoming tributes, because grief in Tinseltown always finds a stage.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and TMZ
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
