This past weekend’s New Yorker Festival in Manhattan was the setting for one of the most unexpectedly emotional moments in recent memory. The festival’s An Evening With Jonathan Groff event, hosted by writer Michael Schulman, was billed as an opportunity to hear the Tony-winning Broadway star reflect on his incredible career and perform a few live numbers. What attendees did not anticipate was a gut-punch of a story about Groff’s final conversations with his late ex, Gavin Creel—the fellow Broadway star who passed away from cancer in 2024 at just 48.
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Groff, a familiar face to fans from his iconic roles in Spring Awakening, Mindhunter, and the Frozen franchise, took a moment to discuss a deeply personal chapter of his life that tied into his coming out journey, and the world was not prepared for how poignant it would all turn out to be.
Jonathan Groff and Gavin Creel: A Full-Circle Moment
As reported by Vulture‘s Jason P. Frank, the night took a bittersweet turn when Groff shared the details of his last interactions with Creel—who he had dated back in 2009. The two men hadn’t spoken in years, but it wasn’t until an interview with Schulman for The New Yorker that Groff reflected on the profound influence Creel had on his life. The conversation led to a text exchange that would bring them back together, just months before Creel’s untimely death.
Groff’s New Yorker profile, published in June 2024, covered his acclaimed performance in the revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along. But it was an unexpected passage about his relationship with Creel—specifically their participation in the 2009 Marriage Equality March on Washington—that would send ripples through both of their lives. Groff recalled how the moment he saw Creel holding a bullhorn, directing the marchers, was the exact moment he decided to come out publicly.
“I remember looking at Gavin, who was holding a bullhorn, directing people into the march,” Groff said in the interview. “And I was, like, I fcking love him so much. I’m coming out. I’m at the fcking gay marriage-equality march!”
A Touching Text
Not long after the article came out, Groff received a message that he would cherish forever. Creel—who had long been out of touch with Groff—reached out to him with a text that would speak volumes about their past and their enduring bond.
Groff recounted the exchange during the New Yorker Festival event: “I got a text message a couple of days after the interview came out from Gavin Creel. We had dated 15 years ago. I shared in the interview how he’d changed my life and how that relationship altered the course of my existence.”
Creel’s text read: “I think I know now that I mean as much to you as you mean to me.”
It’s safe to say, we’re all crying now. It’s impossible to not be moved by the quiet, beautiful acknowledgment of the impact they had on one another’s lives.
But the story didn’t end there. The two continued texting right up until the Tony Awards on June 16, 2024. Groff, who had been nominated for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance in Merrily We Roll Along, won the award that evening. Creel reached out to congratulate him—“And that was the last interaction we ever had,” Groff shared, his voice thick with emotion.
The Bittersweet Full Circle
A few weeks later, Creel was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Despite the devastating news, Groff found solace in the fact that they had reconnected just in time. Creel passed away on September 24, 2024, and the loss was felt deeply across the Broadway community and beyond.
“I know it wasn’t your intent to close a loop with a guy I dated who was about to die,” Groff told Schulman during the event. “But I really thank you for that.”
Sometimes, life doesn’t give us the happy endings we want, and there’s nothing fair about Creel’s passing. Yet, in a strange way, the universe seemed to align just enough for Groff and Creel to experience one last moment of clarity and connection—an opportunity to appreciate their shared past before it was too late. Their relationship clearly had a profound impact on both men, and this final reconnection—however fleeting—feels like a cosmic gift, even if it arrived too late to save Creel’s life.
A Cosmic Connection
The fact that Groff and Creel were able to share these final moments—especially after so many years apart—feels almost serendipitous. It’s a story that speaks not just to the significance of relationships, but to the unique bonds that form in the queer community. Sometimes it’s not about a grand gesture or a perfect resolution, but the small, fleeting moments of recognition, love, and understanding. That text from Creel, full of raw honesty and affection, was a small but powerful gift that Groff will undoubtedly carry with him forever.
So, as we wipe away our tears and reflect on the beautiful lives these two men led—both individually and together—it’s a reminder of how precious time is, and how important it is to express love while we can. Even in the most tragic of circumstances, life has a way of giving us just enough grace to appreciate the people who truly matter.
And if that doesn’t bring a tear to your eye, you might want to check your pulse.
Source: Vulture and New Yorker