Hollywood mourned the deaths of some of its most legendary stars in 2026. The year started off with the sad news that Broadway performer and influencer Bret Hanna-Shuford died at age 46 after being diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoma. His husband, Stephen Hanna-Shuford, confirmed on January 3 that the Beauty and the Beast actor "left this world peacefully with love, surrounded by his family." On January 8, 2026, PBS TV chef Elle Simone Scott - who broke barriers as the first Black woman to join cooking show America's Test Kitchen - died at age 49 following a long battle with ovarian cancer.