Marie Osmond Breaks Silence on Brother Wayne's Death, Reveals She Saw Him Days Before Fatal Stroke: 'Hole in My Heart'

Mar. 15, 2025

Marie and Wayne Osmond.Photo:Marie Osmond/Instagram

Marie Osmond/Instagram

Marie Osmondis paying tribute to her older brotherWayne Osmond.

Days after Waynedied on Jan. 1 in Salt Lake City, Marie returned to social media to share a lengthy and heartfelt statement about her brother.

“I’ve taken a break from social media for the past 9 months and will continue to do so as I have felt a need to unplug and spend time with family. I’m so grateful that just a few weeks ago, I was able to take a long drive to spend time with my brother Wayne,” she beganher Instagram poston Wednesday, Jan, 8.

Marie, 65, went on to explain that “the Spirit” compelled her to go see him — and she’s thankful she followed her gut.

“I will cherish those hours I spent with him for the rest of my life. I didn’t know that just a few days after my visit, he would have a massive stroke,” she continued, adding that it’s “too hard to put into words” but he was “one of the most loving men I have ever known.“His death “left another giant hole in my heart,” she said, before going on to praise her brother’s “long and successful career.”

“But what stands out to me as his sister were the joy-filled, humorous times I spent laughing with him and our deep intellectual conversations that left me edified in one way or another. He was always my safe place to go when I needed advice,” she said.

Wayne Osmond.Ethan Miller/Getty

Ethan Miller/Getty

Donny concluded the post writing, “I love you, Wayne. Your brother forever.”

“I’ve never known a man that had more humility. A man with absolute no guile. An individual that was quick to forgive and had the ability to show unconditional love to everyone he ever met,” Merrill wrote, calling his death a “sad moment.”

He continued: “My brother Wayne endured much. He gave it his all. His legacy will go down as someone who was not only a genius in his ability to write music, but was able to capture the hearts of millions of people and bring them closer to God. I will miss him tremendously. I am so grateful to have grown up with one of heavenly father‘s greatest sons. Until I see him again, know that he was loved.”

Jay, 69, called his brother “a true legend” in aFacebook tribute.

“My heart is deeply saddened for the loss of my brother Wayne. It is said that where there is great love there is great grief as we part during our earthly journey,” Jay wrote. “Throughout my life I have always felt most connected to Wayne out of all of my siblings. He was my roommate and my confidant over the decades.”

Wayne sang in a barbershop quartet that formed in 1958 with his older brother Alan and younger brothers Merrill and Jay. Together, they sang for their Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregation in Ogden, Utah.

Brothers Donny and Jimmy, as well as Marie, eventually joined the band — which was discovered singing at Disneyland in 1961. They reached the height of their fame in 1971 and split shortly after. Jimmy pursued a solo career, while Donny and Marie began singing as a duo.

Wayne married Kathlyn White, a former pageant queen, in 1974. They welcomed five children together.

Wayne experienced a series of issues with his health over the years. In 1997, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and lost nearly all of his hearing as a result of the treatment. Then, in 2012, he had a stroke that left him unable to play guitar.

source: people.com