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Sarah Jessica Parker says she's 'not ready' to address death of 'SATC' co-star Willie Garson

Sarah Jessica Parker is not yet ready to publicly address the death of Willie Garson.

While many Sex and the City cast members have posted social media tributes to Garson, who died Tuesday at age 57 from pancreatic cancer, Parker isn't yet ready to share her feelings.

Under the Instagram tribute Chris Noth shared, which included an image of Parker laughing while filming with Garson in 2007, she commented, "Thank you dearest Chris. I'm not ready yet. Xxx."

(Screenshot: Chris Noth)
(Screenshot: Chris Noth)

Garson played Carrie Bradshaw's sidekick Stanford Blatch, working together in the original HBO series, from 1998 to 2004, the two movies and the currently in production revival, And Just Like That... However, they actually met in the mid-'80s after being set up on a blind date and remained close friends off-screen.

"We were set up once, had a very long flirtation, and then just settled into being best friends, something I think really reads on the show," Garson told Out magazine in 2000. "It's funny, she's said in interviews that every single one of her friends is gay 'except for Willie Garson.'"

Actor Willie Garson and actress Sarah Jessica Parker arrive to the 2008 MTV Movie Awards at the Gibson Amphitheatre on June 1, 2008 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
Willie Garson and Sarah Jessica Parker at the 2008 MTV Movie Awards. (Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

Garson's SATC character was gay, but he was not — though he didn't broadcast it as not to offend. He explained in 2020: "For years I didn’t talk about it because I found it to be offensive to gay people. People playing gay characters jumping up and down screaming that they’re not gay, like that would somehow be a bad thing if they were."

He "got close" to walking down the aisle and said he'd "still like to meet a nice girl and have someone to grow old with." However, he always felt "that it's fine if I never get married." Meanwhile, Parker, 56, has been hitched to Matthew Broderick since 1997.

Garson, a New Jersey native, also appeared on White Collar, Hawaii-Five-0 and Supergirl as well as in many movies, including There's Something About Mary, Being John Malkovich, Kingpin and Groundhog Day.

385528 12: Actors (From Left To Right) Willie Garson Stars As Stanford, Sarah Jessica Parker Stars As Carrie, Kristian Davis Stars As Charlotte, Kim Cattrall Stars As Samantha And Cynthia Nixon Stars As Miranda In The Hbo Comedy Series
Willie Garson (Stanford), Sarah Jessica Parker (Carrie), Kristin Davis (Charlotte), Kim Cattrall (Samantha) and Cynthia Nixon (Miranda) during Season 3 of Sex and the City. (Photo: Getty Images)

His dream job, however, was as being dad to 20-year-old son, Nathen, whom he adopted out of foster care in 2009. The now-college student shared a beautiful farewell to his "Papa" on Tuesday.

Garson's love of his son was something many mentioned in the online tributes following the news. SATC's Kristin Davis spoke of the "joy" she had working with him but called attention to "his fearless commitment to single fatherhood" via adoption, something they have in common as she adopted two children on her own.

Cynthia Nixon wrote about how "proud" Garson was being Nathen's dad.

Evan Handler spoke about how widely liked Garson was but noted "of greatest significance" was that he was "adoptive father to a foster child."

Here are more tributes from the SATC family:

Michael Patrick King, the executive producer of the franchise, said in a statement to Variety: "The Sex and the City family has lost one of its own. Our amazing Willie Garson. His spirit and his dedication to his craft was present every day filming And Just Like That. He was there — giving us his all — even while he was sick. His multitude of gifts as an actor and person will be missed by everyone. In this sad, dark moment we are comforted by our memory of his joy and light."