On Thursday, July 13, actress Morgan Fairchild, who played Chandler's mother, Nora Tyler Bing, in F.R.I.E.N.D.S., announced the death of Mark Seiler, her longtime fiancé, via Instagram. Fairchild expressed that she was devastated.
The 73-year-old actress shared the tragic news on both Instagram and Twitter, mentioning that Mark had Parkinson's for a few years. However, she added that she was guessing "#LongCovid" was what killed her partner. Mark was reportedly affected by the virus thrice.
The actress described her late partner as a warm, funny, and brilliant person. She urged others to hold their loved ones close and requested everyone to consider wearing masks.
On Twitter, Fairchild revealed that she and Mark had been together for 36 years until his death last Friday. Following this, she received much love and support from fans, friends, families, and former costars since the devastating announcement.
Morgan Fairchild spoke about Mark Seiler's health issues on social media
Back in April 2023, Morgan Fairchild spoke about Mark’s long battle with Parkinson’s in a tweet. At the time, the actress wrote that Mark was diagnosed in 2016. Since then, she devoted her attention to spreading awareness about Parkinson’s and advocating for its research. She also extended her support for 76-year-old actor Richard Lewis, who had recently shared his diagnosis of Parkinson’s with the world.
Fairchild previously spoke about her relationship with Mark Seiler, which spanned over more than three decades and shared that they have plans to walk down the aisle to tie the knot.
In June 2020, the actress said in an interview that she is not sure about the idea of marrying again. She was previously married to Jack Calmes from 1967 to 1973. However, talking about marriage, Morgan Fairchild said at the time:
“But you know, it’s definitely a long-term commitment and we’ve been together for a long time…so we may just leave it the way it is right now. We’re both getting older. ”
In addition, the F.R.I.E.N.D.S. alum revealed that Mark Seiler was in a hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Back then, Morgan Fairchild explained that Mark was taken good care of at the hospital and that she was grateful that the nursing home did not have any COVID cases. The actress also shared that she and Mark used to talk a lot on FaceTime while he was away.
Morgan Fairchild's fans and close ones react to her partner's passing
Heartfelt messages and prayers were sent Fairchild's way after she informed the world about her lover's passing. People sent their condolences to the actress and prayed for her peace and recovery from grief.
Morgan Fairchild's works on American TV shows
The 73-year-old actress is noted for her work on TV shows like Flamingo Road, General Hospital, Falcon Crest, and Search for Tomorrow. She also played a few comedic roles on Roseanne, Murphy Brown, and F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Morgan Fairchild is also a member of the SAG-AFTRA board.
In F.R.I.E.N.D.S., Fairchild played a graphic adult novelist who divorced her husband after learning of his s**uality. Her character in the series, Nora Bing, is a successful writer and an inspiration to Rachel to attempt writing.