Sandra Bullock Opens Up About Partner Bryan Randall's Death & ALS Battle for First Time, Why They Kept It Private | Just Jared - Celebrity News and Gossip

Sandra Bullock is making her first public comments about her partner Bryan Randall‘s battle with ALS.

Three years ago, his family released a statement confirming he had passed at age 57 from the condition.

“It is with great sadness that we share that on Aug. 5, Bryan Randall passed away peacefully after a three-year battle with ALS. Bryan chose early to keep his journey with ALS private and those of us who cared for him did our best to honor his request,” his family shared in a statement to Just Jared at the time. “We are immensely grateful to the tireless doctors who navigated the landscape of this illness with us and to the astounding nurses who became our roommates, often sacrificing their own families to be with ours.”

They never married, but had been together for years.

Sandra Bullock opened up about his battle

The 62-year-old Oscar-winning actress made an appearance on the “SmartLess” podcast to discuss.

“He asked me not to share,” she said. “I know why he asked me not to.”

However, she became “isolated in the process” as a result.

She said only her sister, Gesine Bullock-Prado, was aware of his private health battle at first, though she did eventually tell friends including Jennifer Aniston and Amanda Anka, who is “Smartless” co-host Jason Bateman‘s wife.

“I think where he was in his journey, both physically and mentally, I started grieving Brian four years before he passed. There was something that had shifted….My person left a lot earlier than the body left. I don’t think I ever dealt with that until after he passed, because you’re just on this treadmill.”

She noted that ALS is “a traumatic diagnosis.”

What is ALS?

The Mayo Clinic notes that ALS is “a nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. ALS causes loss of muscle control. The disease gets worse over time.”

Is there a cure for ALS?

There is no cure for ALS and while some patients can live for decades, most people usually live for three to five years after their diagnosis.

Where to donate to help fund research for ALS

You can learn more and donate at ALS.com.

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