Heather Gray, ‘The Talk’ executive producer has died

Producer and showrunner of CBS’ The Talk, Heather Gray has died. She was 50 years old.

According to a report from Deadline citing a statement from CBS, Gray had succumbed to “an unforgiving disease” though specifics were not shared.

In this letter CBS shared to the cast and crew of the show signed by the CEO and other senior figures at the company, the team expressed their condolences and offered support to those who need it.

“Dear Talk Family,

On behalf of all of us at CBS, we want to extend our deep condolences to you for the painful loss of our beloved Heather. She was an inspiration to us all, living and thriving while bravely battling an unforgiving disease. She showed us what true courage looks like.

Heather has been the heart and soul of “The Talk” from day one. Her brilliance as an innovative producer was only outmatched by her huge smile and infectious laugh. She was an admired, beloved mama bear of your family and a leader that all looked up to. Her contributions to the success of the show are immeasurable, but more importantly, she was a boss that proved you can lead with kindness, caring and friendship. Heather was everyone’s friend, everyone’s champion, everyone’s favorite person on the set. We will miss her terribly.

We recognize and share the pain and shock you are feeling at this moment, as well as the grief you will feel in the days ahead. While the show is starting its hiatus as of August 1 (Monday), we do not want you to grieve and mourn alone. The set will be open, and HR will have staff and grief counseling available in person and by phone. HR support will be on site as well. We understand how difficult this will be for all of you and want you to all know, that we are here for you.”

Gray was a Daytime Emmy Award-winning producer working on The Talk from 2011. These awards came in 2016 and 2018 alongside a NAACP Image Award in 2016. Prior to her work for The Talk, Gray served as a development producer at Endemol USA and as supervising producer for The Tyra Banks Show.