“Star Trek” icon Gates McFadden, who played Dr. Beverly Crusher for 6 seasons in “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” took to her Instagram account to open up about the death of her beloved pet cats who were regularly featured in her social media posts for years.
On April 16, McFadden posted a photo of herself cradling one of the cats without a caption, but several commenters were already aware the cat had passed away.
A few moments later, the 77-year-old shared a snap of her other feline, revealing it was deceased as well. She wrote, “Lulu gone too. Lost them both only 3 weeks apart. Posting because people keep wanting videos of them. They were around 20 years old and much loved.”
McFadden’s costars from “Star Trek” sent condolences in the comments. Wil Wheaton, who played Crusher’s son Wesley, wrote, “Oh, Gates, I am so sorry for your loss.”
Brent Spiner, who played the android character of Mr. Data, chimed in, “So sorry old friend.”
Mica Burton, the real-life daughter of another castmate, LeVar Burton, said, “Sending you so much love I am so sorry.” Mica appears in “Star Trek: Picard” as Ensign Alandra La Forge in the show’s third and final season.
Gates McFadden Previously Shared Throwback Pics for ‘What Were You Like in the ’90s Trend’
Back in March, Gates reminded everyone of her bombshell looks by sharing some of her favorite vintage pictures for the viral social media “What Were You Like in the ’90s?” trend. In one shot, she rode her famous unicycle around the set while wearing her character’s Starfleet uniform. In another, she walked side-by-side with Brent Spiner. Another snap showed the star posing with her baby boy, James McFadden Talbot.
Gates shares her son James with her husband John Talbot, who has not been publicly photographed with the actress in some time.
The post sparked a lot of nostalgic reactions, with one fan writing, “The way this absolutely had to have the unicycle photo. Iconic.” Another declared, “So beautiful! I’m watching TNG for the first time in order (no skips!) and Beverly is truly my gal. She’s so brilliant and inspiring.” Someone else in the comments told the actress they became a doctor because of her role.
McFadden’s ‘TNG’ Castmate Marina Sirtis Previously Said the Cast Remains Close
In a joint interview with fellow castmate Jonathan Frakes, Deanna Troi actress Marina Sirtis talked about how all the main actors from “Star Trek: The Next Generation” are still good friends with each other, and also revealed they’re the only “Star Trek” cast to maintain an ongoing camraderie.
She said at a Comic Con appearance in 2014, “We’re all still best friends. I think we’re the only ‘Star Trek’ cast where all seven of us get along famously. She even joked that fans should not expect a tell-all memoir of any of the crew. “That’s why there’s never gonna be a book. No publisher wants to hear how much fun it was and how much we love each other.”
