TV star announces death of dad in emotional post: ‘My forever favorite person’

Kaitlin Olson, the actress known for her role in High Potential, shared the heartbreaking news on Monday that her father, Don Olson, has passed away.

A Heartfelt Tribute

In an emotional Instagram post, the 50-year-old actress honored her late father, describing him as "my first love, my first protector and my forever favorite person." Expressing the difficulty of sharing such a personal loss online, she admitted that while the process felt private and fragile, she could not act as though the world hadn't changed.

"Honestly it feels a little gross to bring this to social media. It’s too fragile and too private. But nothing feels more wrong than to just move on with life as if the worst thing in the world didn’t happen," Olson wrote. She noted that her father "fought so hard and so long to stay with us" before passing.

Remembering Don Olson

Reflecting on their bond, Olson expressed deep gratitude for the time she had with her father. "The luckiest thing to happen to me in this lifetime was getting him as my dad. Maybe the second was the gift of holding him on his way out. I love you, daddy. I will keep all my promises. Just like you," she shared.

Support from Friends and Family

The post drew support from several of Olson’s industry peers, including Always Sunny costars Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Jimmi Simpson, and Steve Howey. Her husband and costar, Rob McElhenney, also shared a poignant tribute to his father-in-law.

"Words are impossible," McElhenney wrote in response to the post. "There is no one like him. My whole goal in life is to be half the man he was. I’ve never seen a person love someone the way he loved you. I am so grateful that he lived and so proud that I got to be his son for the past 17 years."

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