William Shatner: ‘I chose to celebrate life by going to the Red Cross gathering’

Leonard Nimoy Passes Away (1931-2015)  **FILE PHOTOS**
William Shatner was unable to attend his friend Leonard Nimoy’s funeral, held early Sunday morning in LA, because he was honoring a previous commitment at a Red Cross charity event on Saturday night in Florida. In the comments on our coverage of that story yesterday, many of you pointed out that both Nimoy and Shatner are Jewish, and that the dead must be buried as quickly as possible, often in under a day’s time, under the Jewish religion. Please correct me if I’m wrong, but from my brief Wikipedia research, funeral ceremonies are thus not as central to Jewish mourning as they are to Christians, as their dead are not embalmed and are buried quickly. Jewish mourners also sit Shiva where they go into mourning for seven days, at which point they receive visitors.

I mention all that because Shatner received a lot of flack from the press, and on Twitter, for missing Nimoy’s funeral by just a few hours. Shatner is 83 years old and he had a very valid reason for not being able to attend his friend’s funeral, and even if he didn’t, it’s not our business. People mourn in their own way. What’s more is that we may be judging Shatner’s behavior through a Christian lens that just doesn’t apply. In a new interview with Insider Edition, Shatner further explained his decision, which I don’t think was necessary at all but he’s being asked and he obliged. The people who are trolling him on Twitter and in the media are never going to understand anyway.

My understanding is mourn the dead but celebrate life. I chose to celebrate life by going to the Red Cross gathering in Palm Beach, raised a lot of money for the Red Cross. In that ceremony, in that time, I asked over a thousand people to remember Leonard Nimoy and Maury Hurley, another wonderful writer and another dear friend of mine who died this week. And to take a moment to remember them, but also remember them by doing good deeds. And those good deeds will be remembered long after any other kind of memorial.

[From Inside Edition, received via email]

Not only that, Shatner spent a lot of time on Twitter answering fan questions about Nimoy and remembering his dear friend. Plus he lost another friend this week! That’s so sad. My heart goes out to him, and to Nimoy’s family. I lost my dear grandma Gert to COPD, like Nimoy she contracted it decades after she quit smoking.

On a lighter note, here is one of Shatner’s recent tweets, a defaced Canadian five dollar note altered to look like Spock. It’s not illegal to deface bill notes in Canada. (This is their seventh Prime Minister, Sir Wilfred Laurier.) I get the impression there are about to be a lot more of these in circulation.

William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy

William Shatner And Leonard Nimoy Hug It Out

Leonard Nimoy Passes Away (1931-2015)  **FILE PHOTOS**

photo credit: WENN.com and FameFlynet

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56 Responses to “William Shatner: ‘I chose to celebrate life by going to the Red Cross gathering’”

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  1. LadyMTL says:

    I honestly don’t understand why people are jumping down Shatner’s throat here. It’s not like he was on vacation in the Maldives or cruising through Europe, he was at a Red Cross charity event! Would it have been awesome for him to attend the funeral? Yes. Will I get mad at him because he couldn’t? Nope.

    • Hawkeye says:

      I agree with you 100%. What counts is how William Shatner treated his friend while he was alive. And in that spirit, I don’t see why it would be so bad if he was in the Maldives or cruising through Europe. No one should dictate how someone else mourns.

    • Tiffany :) says:

      I agree.

      Funerals are for the living, not the dead. If it wouldn’t make you feel better to go to a funeral, a person shouldn’t have to go. You don’t need to be at a group gathering in order to reflect on a lost loved one.

      • Gen says:

        ^This! I went to my father’s wake and funeral, and it destroyed my image and memories of him. For many years, I could only remember the image of him in that coffin. So when my aunt (who, in the absence of my mother, raised me like a daughter) passed away years later, though she and I were very close, I refused to attend her wake and funeral. People gave me serious flack. But I have never once regretted it, because all my memories of my aunt are of wonderful moments we shared in life, and not an image of her dead in a coffin.

      • Tiffany :) says:

        I am so sorry that you have experienced that, but thank you for sharing what you learned. Hugs.

  2. Audrey says:

    Canada loves Spock, go ahead and deface the bill. We even have a town named Vulcan

    • InvaderTak says:

      Please tell me there’s a city ordinance that requires the residents to dress like vulcans and all the buildings are futuristic.

      • Narak says:

        No, it’s a small town on the prairies, about 2 hours from Calgary. There is a plywood Enterprise, and a shop with startrek outfits that you can wear while sitting in a mock- up of the captains deck. Leonard Nimoy visited the town and loved it.

      • CatJ says:

        And, you can buy Spock ears at the local hardware store.!:)

  3. original kay says:

    It’s his business. I *was* a fan of his, but after this, making this all about HIM, I am left with a bad taste.
    We get it, he mourned, is still mourning, and loved Mr Nimoy. Now go away, Mr Shatner, and shut up already.

    • Allie says:

      He’s getting asked about it! People and the media are trolling him and he’s just defending himself. I think he’s doing a good job defending himself while still putting the spotlight on Mr. Nimroy

    • snowflake says:

      that’s harsh. how can he shut up about it when people won’t stop asking about it? I feel bad for him that people are being like that towards him. I don’t blame him for defending himself. it was probably a really hard decision for him to go to his friend’s funeral or to cancel a previous appointment, disappointing many more people. I don’t think he’s making it about him, people just keep hounding him about it.

      • original kay says:

        He chose to respond on his twitter.

        That’s a choice he made, to not ignore the bullsh*t and to keep it going.

    • Sarah says:

      How has he made it about him? He was asked about it and continues to do so. People grieve in different ways. People cope in different ways. He opened up his Twitter to discuss which was a way with sharing with fans. Honestly I think the man can’t win here.

    • enike says:

      original kay – are you a troll?
      even if you are, I am not disrespecting your opinion, just don´t understand, how it is about HIM….
      media circus? very bad taste to remember Nimroy to attack his dear friend….. the media should be full of price of the late Nimroy, and instead we get attacking his friend…. awful

  4. bettyrose says:

    I got a little choked up just from the cover photo. Leonard Nimoy just seems like he was so full of life and joy. And wow was he good looking well into his later years. He just radiates a healthy, happy life.

  5. OriginalTessa says:

    Why is the death of this man being made into a tabloid drama? Seriously, this is gross. Leave William Shatner alone.

    • original kay says:

      It is gross.

      But WS had the choice not to respond. He did, and now it’s just going and going, so can we blame the tabloids for acting like they always do, or WS for degrading the life of his friend to this level?

      WS reposted, on his twitter, a tabloid page and said “let’s talk about this.” really? he had nothing better to do?

      • OriginalTessa says:

        If you were mourning the death of a close friend and a tabloid printed something like that about you, wouldn’t you want to clear it up? Wouldn’t you want people to know how much you loved your friend and wished you could be there for their funeral? He didn’t start it. The tabloids did. And Leonard Nimoy is about the last person who’s death should be overshadowed by tabloid drama.

      • snowflake says:

        @ OT exactly. I would defend myself too if it was me

      • Snazzy says:

        I’m with you OriginalTessa. It was his friend, he clearly cared a lot about him. He has to respond because the tabloids are making it about him instead of remembering his friend’s life. So pathetic

      • original kay says:

        @ OT

        we all have the choice to take something personally, or not. No, I do not feel the need to defend myself to people I don’t even know.
        I might ask for further information so I can better understand, but to feel the need to publicly defend myself to a tabloid and strangers on the internet?

        no. just like I don’t feel it necessary to defend my thoughts now. I answered your question as best I could, but I don’t take any of this personally so bringing to any “what would I do” is moot.

      • original kay says:

        I do understand your POV, I just don’t happen to see WS as a victim in this situation.

        I might have, if he had not posted a link to the tabloid front page and said “let’s talk about this” (or something similar).

        That ended any sympathy I might have had for his situation. Not his loss, or how keenly he feels it, but his engaging.

      • AntiSocialButterfly says:

        @originalkay-
        For someone who is not taking this personally, you certainly appear pretty deeply invested in criticizing Shatner. Why? I’d think you would have thrown you hands up at the responses to your original post by now, and simply said, “You know what? Who really cares? Whatevs.” :-/

      • Samtha says:

        If he hadn’t commented, people would slam him for that. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.

      • lucy2 says:

        I don’t blame him for defending himself, but I think after making one good statement doing so, I’d then ignore the rest of it.

      • original kay says:

        Because I don’t take the opinions of others, whom I don’t know (like the internet), as my own, means I cannot engage or have an opinion? That is illogical.

        I don’t feel the need to throw my hands up at any responses, all are valid. I listen, but that does not mean the opinion of another becomes MY truth. Do you see the difference?

        Your opinion of my being deeply invested is just that- your opinion. It is not my truth, for I know my own thoughts and intentions. I don’t take it personally that anyone here disagrees with me, but that does not mean I do not enjoy the chatting and back and forth of ideas and opinions.

        I would not be so disrespectful as to toss up my hands to anyone. As long as the other person(s) is being polite, then it’s just an exchange of ideas.

  6. JB says:

    A funeral is ONE way to mourn someone’s passing. It is not the ONLY way. They seem to be more for the sake of bringing closure to the survivors than the deceased (I’m not super religious so I’m sure other people feel differently on that point). But it’s not like missing someone’s wedding or birthday party, when they would actually know if you were there or not. Give this guy a break!

    • Tiffany :) says:

      “A funeral is ONE way to mourn someone’s passing. It is not the ONLY way. They seem to be more for the sake of bringing closure to the survivors than the deceased”

      I completely agree. Well said.

  7. SamiHami says:

    I’m no fan of Shatner, but people should just back off and quit complaining about him. As has been said by people far more eloquent than me, he gets to grieve in his own way and he certainly had an obligation to honor his commitment to the Red Cross. Leave the guy alone.

  8. Christin says:

    I really feel sorry for the Nimoy family, as this manufactured drama has taken over what should be a time of remembrance for their loved one.

    Shatner owes no explanations to the public and should stop defending himself.

  9. Santolina says:

    I know about Jewish beliefs AND I still think Shatner could have saved a lot of trouble and confusion if he’d just hopped on a plane. The Red Cross would have understood. Still, I’m glad he’s Tweeting and responding to grieving fans. He’s doing the right thing in the aftermath.

  10. Snazzy says:

    Good God the man is 83 years old and just lost a close friend. Leave him alone!

  11. misstee says:

    They ADORED each other, that is so obvious – and there is a massive difference between not going to a funeral because you are too lazy/self involved/tight fisted ( as a great many of my Christian raised associates have been) and having a alternative homage/mourning in mind.

    That said ive never really understood the quick burial that the Jewish religion has – I guess im just so used to the Irish Catholic way of having the body around for days whilst you do various things.

    Each to their own…

    • Enui says:

      Hi misstee– both Jewish and Muslims practice fast burials. It comes from a a time and place where embalming was not the norm, and the area was HOT. Best to get the body in the ground. You also are talking about a time period where travel could take quite a while, so quick burial for hygenic/aesthetic reasons followed by a longer period of mourning would allow family and friends from farther away time to participate in the public portion of the grieving process.

      Irish Catholic here too, and like you, I’m more familiar with the death being followed by an announcement, then a vigil service, then a mass, then a burial, and then a wake at the closest bar. 🙂 It could take a week to get to the actual vigil rosary, followed the next day by the mass and burial.

  12. Crumpet says:

    Nimoy likely quit smoking 30 years ago because he was diagnosed with COPD. The type he had, emphysema, is a very slow progressing disease. Incredible to think he was been living with this all those years. And 90% of emphysema cases are directly related to smoking. Smoking is bad, kids. Cigarettes, in addition to containing tons of chemical carcinogens, also contain bits of radioactive materials (lead-210 and polonium-210) that get logged in the lungs, and it never comes out.
    http://www.epa.gov/radiation/sources/tobacco.html

    • Enui says:

      My grandmother had COPD (not her cause of death, but it impacted her), and my father-in-law suffered immensely from, and eventually died from COPD. It is a death that I honestly think is worse than the lung cancer I watched my grandfather die from.

  13. H says:

    Normally, I’m not a big fan of Shatner, after reading his biography I felt like he was a pompous windbag, but he seems to have mellowed in the last 15 years. And Nimoy and him were close, their Tweets to each other reminded me of an old married couple. So busting on an 83 year old man who is grieving to me seems the height of poor taste. Shatner may be many things, but I do believe he did love Leonard like “a brother,” so I say leave Grandpa Bill alone. And for Bill: Get off of Twitter.

    My heart goes out to the Nimoy family, they certainly don’t need this drama right now.

  14. Dani says:

    As a Jew – the funeral isn’t a big deal. It’s more disrespectful to the family and to the deceased if you don’t honor the shiva. The way it works, is, you have to bury the person before the next sunset. They have to be checked by a rabbi and ‘cleaned’ (removing all needles, hospital markings, cutting nails, and shaving hair from all over the body). If it can be done same day, they get buried that day, otherwise its the next morning, as early as 8/9 (after morning prayers), unless it’s on Shabbat, then they are preserved in an iced room until Sunday morning. From the cemetery you go to the shiva home and sit for 7 days (friday/saturday not included), and people come and pay respects.

    My father passed away a year ago and I remember to this day a mill of people coming in and out of the shiva home, that weren’t at the funeral. The funeral is mostly for family members and very close friends. We don’t have a burial ceremony. Some cultures don’t even allow women at the cemetery for the burial. All it really is, is 3-6 Jewish men lowering the wooden casket into the ground as well as a bag of sidurim and a bag of personal belongings, a prayer is said and if there is a son left behind, he has to cover the grave with dirt.

    • The Original G says:

      Thanks for that, Dani.

    • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

      Thank you, Dani.

      • Feeshalori says:

        And perhaps if certain publications got their facts straight, they wouldn’t be ignorantly spewing such venom. But perhaps they are aware and choose to disregard the truth to create controversy. After all, why let facts get in the way of a good story?

  15. toBoldlyGo says:

    I think it’s fair — after all, Nimoy isn’t going to be at Shatner’s funeral.

  16. NorthernGirl_20 says:

    IMO it’s nobodies business whether he went to the funeral or not. He clearly loved his friend. I wish people would leave him alone .. grieve in his own way. Sheesh.

  17. The Original G says:

    I heard to day that because of Nimoy’s friendship with Quinto that the Westboro Baptist Church was planning to picket Nimoy’s funeral but the couldn’t because it was swift and private.

    Let Shatner alone, please.

  18. Katie says:

    He shouldn’t have to explain his decision. RIDIC! People need to leave him alone!!

  19. belle de jour says:

    Funerals – like weddings – tend to bring out the crazy in people; I’m always amazed how many of their own issues they can publicly wear to someone else’s altar or casket that day.

  20. paranormalgirl says:

    Shatner had an obligation to fulfill. After all, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one.

  21. Suzanne says:

    Holy Rosesacha Cpt. Kirk….what the hell happened to your face?

  22. Spike says:

    Shatner fame whore Day 4

    So I (and many others) am not just a rabid Star Trek fan. He meant something to me. I had a father who was so soulless. Example, 30 years ago when my paternal grandfather died, he left their family home to my Aunt Jean. It was intended for her and my grandmother to always have a home. My aunt also had epilepsy & collected disability. My father & his brother forged a new will so the house was left to them. They had my grandmother & aunt committed to a mental institution. My grandmother died there. They promptly turned around & sold it.

    My maternal grand-uncle was always good & kind. He was really our only grandparent (not dissing my paternal grandparents, it was true. Through scifi he showed us a better world. A world where people weren’t at war. There mission was “– to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.”

    Spock & my uncle were very alike in my mind. Except my uncle was much funnier & capable of incredible love for us. When LN died, I felt the same grief when my uncle died over a decade ago. For Shatner to pull this farce for 4 days, and on the eve of the LN’s funeral makes me furious. And the next headline was that he made it in time for the funeral. Celebitchy writers please write a final article about Leonard Nimoy as a shout out to us.

    This is a wonderful article about the love & generosity he showed towards his fans. It made me weep — Rest in Peace Leonard Nimoy, My Honorary Space Grandpa

    And last for some funny cool links
    Origins of Live Long and Prosper

    Columbo
    Big Bang Theory
    The Challenge
    The Lazy Song
    Star Trek Cartoon ?
    Simpsons

    Futurama

  23. moo says:

    I think too many people just like throwing shade….. kind of the sick creepy world we live in.