Sarah Jessica Parker, 57, lost her stepfather, Paul Giffin Forste, 76, on Sept. 28. A rep for the actress confirmed Paul’s death in a statement to HollywoodLife. “Our family is sad to announce that after an unexpected and rapid illness, Paul Giffin Forste passed away yesterday at age 76,” the statement said.
It concluded, “In his last moments he was surrounded with the love and gratitude of his adored wife Barbara of 54 years and children, including Sarah Jessica Parker. Paul will be remembered with the spirit of loving kindness which was his faith, his special delight in his 13 grandchildren and his sustained belief in making the world a more charitable, tolerant and beautiful place for all.”
While Paul was technically SJP’s stepfather, he was a very close father figure in her life. SJP was the youngest of four chlidren, but her parents divorced when she was just one year old. Her father, Stephen Parker, walked out on the family. However, her mother, Barbara, got remarried to Paul in 1968. Barbara and Paul went on to have three more children together, giving SJP 7 siblings total.
News of Paul’s death comes after SJP dropped out of attending the New York City Ballet Gala, where she was set to be honored, on Sept. 28. She pulled out of the event at the last minute, though, and an attendee told Page Six that it was announced onstage that she had to skip the event because of a “sudden devastating family situation.”
In addition to missing the NYC Ballet Gala, SJP also reportedly missed a virtual press conference for Hocus Pocus 2 on Sept. 28, according to Entertainment Tonight. Before this tragedy, though the actress seemed in great spirits while attending the movie’s premiere in New York City on Sept. 27. She attended the event with her husband, Matthew Broderick, and their twin daughters, Tabitha and Marion, 13. It was a rare public outing for the teenagers, who are generally kept out of the public eye.
Meanwhile, in the midst of press for Hocus Pocus 2, SJP is also currently filming season 2 of her HBO Max series And Just Like That. The Sex & The City revival premiered its first season at the end of 2021, and will return with SJP, Kristin and Cynthia Nixon for a follow-up. Kim Cattrall was not involved in the new series.