Who is Shelley Duvall's partner Dan Gilroy? Meet late actress' boyfriend for over three decades who once dated Madonna
Shelley Duvall, the actress best known for The Shining, passed away at age 75 on Thursday, according to her longtime partner Dan Gilroy.
Gilroy revealed the star died in her sleep of complications from diabetes at her Texas home in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
'My dear, sweet, wonderful life partner and friend left us. Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away, beautiful Shelley,' he shared.
Dan and Shelly's lasting relationship spanned over three decades after they met on the set of a Disney film.
Discover more about the guitarist, who also played in a band with Madonna and briefly dated her, below.
Dan Gilroy (right), Shelley Duvall's (left) life partner since 1989, confirmed her death to The Hollywood Reporter; (pictured 1990)
When did Dan Gilroy meet Madonna?
Dan kicked off his music career in 1979 in New York City when he formed the band The Breakfast Club with his guitarist brother Ed and bassist Angie Smit.
They went through several line-ups, including one in the early 1980s in which the Material Girl was the drummer.
Dan briefly dated Madonna and eventually allowed her to take on lead vocals.
Dan and Madonna played in The Breakfast Club in 1980 before a brief romance
However, Madonna eventually departed to form a new band called Emmy and the Emmys.
The Breakfast Club would go on to have their biggest hit in 1987 with Right On Track.
The band received a Grammy Awards nomination for Best New Artist in 1988, a year before Dan and Shelley crossed paths.
In 2016, Breakfast Club released a new album that included tracks originally planned for their unreleased second album.
How did Shelley Duvall and Dan Gilroy meet?
Shelley and Dan started dating in 1989 after working together on the Disney Channel movie Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme, per The Hollywood Reporter.
In the film, Dan portrayed Gordon Goose, while Shelley took on the role of Little Bo Peep, a role that reportedly brought them closer together off-screen.
Shelley and Dan started dating in 1989 after working together on the Disney Channel movie Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme, per The Hollywood Reporter; (pictured 1990)
The couple eventually moved to Texas where they lived together before Shelley passed from complications from diabetes.
Before Gilroy, Shelley was married to artist Bernard Sampson.
Their relationship struggled as Shelley's acting career flourished, leading to their divorce in 1974.
In 1976, Shelley met singer Paul Simon, and they lived together for two years.
Their relationship ended when Paul left Shelley for her friend Carrie Fisher.
What Dan said about Shelley's infamous Dr. Phil interview?
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Duvall said that she left showbusiness in 2002 because people in Hollywood 'hurt' her.
'I was a star; I had leading roles,' she told the paper. 'People think it's just aging, but it's not. It's violence.'
In 2016, she appeared on an episode of Dr. Phil, discussing her struggles with mental illness during her tenure on the show.
Many criticized the show's host for what they perceived as exploiting the performer's personal challenges.
The couple eventually moved to Texas where they lived together before Shelley passed from complications from diabetes
In the Times interview, Gilroy mentioned that Shelley's 2016 interview with Dr. Phil was intended to boost her career but backfired, painting her in an unfavorable light as 'odd.'
He expressed concern for her well-being, particularly when she resorts to sleeping in her car.
Gilroy also shared that after their Los Angeles home was destroyed in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, they moved to Texas in search of a fresh start.
He said that is when things went 'downhill' and she 'started becoming afraid of things, maybe didn't want to work.'
