Amanda Kloots is opening up about some of the ups and downs in her marriage to her late husband, Broadway star Nick Cordero, who died last July at 41 from COVID-19 complications.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Kloots, 39, said she feels regret about not supporting all of Cordero’s career decisions during their marriage.
“I was not a good wife,” the fitness instructor and “The Talk” co-host said.
She explained that in 2019, a year after Cordero wrapped up his role in “A Bronx Tale” on Broadway, he was thinking of switching gears and pursuing a career in songwriting.
“I was not understanding any of it,” she said. “I was like, ‘This is a waste of time, and we have no money.’ He did not feel supported by me. I wasn’t supportive.”
Kloots also opened up about a disagreement she and Cordero had over moving to Los Angeles. Cordero wanted to move to California because he thought there might be more TV acting and songwriting opportunities there, while Kloots wanted to stay in New York City, where she was closer to family and her career as a fitness instructor was growing.
“We fought about it for a year,” she said, “I finally came to a place of, ‘This is marriage, you have to compromise.’”
She added that she "learned to appreciate his music too late," but that she is now "determined to keep his voice alive."
Cordero was admitted to the hospital in late March of last year and spend more than three months battling COVID-19, which left his lungs “severely damaged,” Kloots said on her Instagram Story in late April 2020. When Cordero first got sick, the couple was staying in the guesthouse of their close friend, actor Zach Braff. During the ordeal, Cordero's right leg had to be amputated due to blood clots.
On July 5, 2020, Kloots shared the heartbreaking news that her husband had died.
“I am in disbelief and hurting everywhere. My heart is broken as I cannot imagine our lives without him. Nick was such a bright light. He was everyone’s friend, loved to listen, help and especially talk,” she wrote on Instagram. “He was an incredible actor and musician. He loved his family and loved being a father and husband."
Almost a year later, Kloots is navigating being a single mom to their son, Elvis, who turned 2 on Thursday.
“Elvis will (do) something so adorable and I just wish Nick could be there to see him do it,” Kloots told TODAY Parents in February. “He’s saying a ton of words and running around and just like his dad he’s curious about how things work.”
