Alice Evans has spoken publicly for the first time since the death of her brother Tony, describing the loss as “very unexpected” and saying she has lived through “dark times.” The British-American actress, 57, addressed followers in an Instagram Live on Wednesday while joined by her 13-year-old daughter, Elsie.
Evans said Tony developed an infection and was expected to be discharged after an overnight hospital stay, but his condition deteriorated rapidly. “Then we had a week where we thought he was going to be okay and we were asking for prayers,” she said on the livestream. “Then just sudden brutal notice that there was no activity.” She said the death was “very sudden” and that the family found the loss “really, really upsetting.”
In a written Instagram statement last month, Evans said Tony, known to the family as Tone, died at 6:42 p.m. on a Thursday. She called him “my brother, my best friend, the most incredible husband to Rachel, and beloved Uncle Tone to my girls,” and described him as “the kindest, most loyal, funniest, warm person I could have ever hoped to have had as a sibling.” Evans wrote that her daughters had become close to Tony through frequent FaceTime calls and that his loss leaves a “gaping hole” in their lives.
On the Instagram Live, Evans said the death was particularly hard for Tony’s wife, who is under 40, and acknowledged the long road of grief ahead. “It’s something we’re going to have to deal with and it’s going to take a long time,” she said. She added later in the video that she “will never be the same again” after losing her brother and that supporters had helped her through difficult nights in recent years.
Evans also addressed an unkind response on social media following her plea for prayers for Tony. After asking fans to pray when his condition appeared dire, she said she was flooded with well-wishes but also received a cruel comment that speculated about funeral logistics and referenced unrelated family disputes. Evans posted a screenshot of the remark on her Instagram and wrote, “This person is scum. Utter scum. You lost a sister yet you speak like this about me losing a brother? You nasty piece of work.”
Evans’s public reflections come after she previously used Instagram Stories to alert followers to Tony’s failing health and request prayers. In her later statement announcing his death, she praised her sister-in-law Rachel, calling her “the strongest person I know” and saying she and Tony were profoundly in love. The actress did not disclose further medical details beyond the description of an infection and a rapid decline.
Friends, fans and followers have sent condolences to Evans and her family following the announcement. In her remarks during the livestream, Evans thanked those who had supported her in the nights after Tony’s hospitalization and asked for continued privacy while the family mourns.