Courtney Hope Mourns the Death of Dear Friend Kenneth Mader
Please join us in sending love to THE YOUNG & THE RESTLESS star Courtney Hope (Sally), who is mourning the loss of her good friend, Kenneth Mader, who passed away on April 3. “This one is a difficult one,” she admitted on Instagram, sharing a series of pictures of them together. They worked together on multiple projects including the 2016 film Displacement, which Mader wrote, directed, and produced and in which Hope starred.
“Yesterday I lost an amazing soul, mentor, friend, director, co-producer, and supporter,” Hope declared. “I will miss my dear friend Ken Mader dearly, and I am so thankful for all my time spent with him collaborating and creating on many projects. I couldn’t be more grateful for all the advice and lessons he taught me, the new first-time producer I was during Displacement, and how he guided me as an actor from his directorial and writer’s perspective.
“He wore many hats,” she continued, “but the greatest one was being a visionary and a companion. His legacy will live on through his films and his lesson. I am so thankful to have spent time creating memories I will never forget, and for having someone believe in me as wholeheartedly as he did. That support will never leave me. I love you and miss you, Ken.”
Mader was born and raised in Chicago where he began his show business career as a production assistant, then moved into working as a visual effects artist before moving to Los Angeles after the release of his first feature film, Carnivore, on the SyFy Channel. In October 2021, some of Mader’s friends set up a GoFundMe when he was diagnosed with neuroendocrine carcinoma, a rare form of colorectal cancer. Sadly, on April 3, 2022, they reported that Mader had passed away earlier that morning and that any funds raised would now go towards his outstanding expenses, his cremation, and a celebration of his life this spring.
Our thoughts are with Mader’s friends and family during this difficult time.
