Chelsey Riemann, a spokesperson for HGTV, confirmed Whang’s death in a statement on Friday.
“Suzanne was warm, funny and kind with a distinctive voice that made everyone feel at home,” the statement read. “Our HGTV family mourns her loss and wishes to express deepest condolences to her friends, fans and family who knew and loved her.”
Whang’s partner, Jeff Vezain, also announced her death in a post on her Facebook page and noted the TV star’s longtime battle with breast cancer.
“A lifetime of love, adventure, humor and bliss now lives in our memories. On Tuesday evening around 7:20pm, Suzanne breathed her last breath here at home, as I knelt beside her and caressed her,” he wrote. “For thirteen years she confronted cancer with courage, humor, determination and optimism. She was immensely encouraged by the love of her family, friends and those she had yet to meet. Your kind, loving messages always lifted her spirits. I know she would prefer that her life be celebrated, as opposed to her passing mourned, but I also know how vehemently she disagreed with anyone being told, ‘Don’t cry.’ So…cry if you will.”
Vezain added, “Her audacious sense of humor blessed many, shocked a few, but allowed us to laugh in the face of adversity. She was an amazing daughter, sister, friend, mentor and advocate. As I, her family and her closest friends process her transition, we ask for your prayers and loving thoughts.”
The Arlington, Virginia, native was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006. Following a bout of remission, the cancer returned in 2011, during which doctors reportedly told the award-winning comedian she wouldn’t live past six months.
However, Whang was determined to take control of her health and went on to live cancer-free for seven years. The disease returned in October 2018, and in November she launched a GoFundMe campaign and said the tumor, which she had jokingly named Felicia, had “started growing by leaps and bounds.”
“Instead of graciously going away, Felicia (the sternum tumor) started growing by leaps and bounds, and I really thought I was on my way off the planet,” Whang wrote. “But since I’m still here, I know that there must be more for me to learn and experience.”
Despite her illness, Whang was known for keeping her spirits high and often referred to her cancer battle in her standup comedy routines in Province, Massachusetts, where she spent several summers lighting up comedy stages with her alter ego Sung Hee Park. She was also known to crack jokes about her health on the Sirius XM OutQ program Derek and Romaine Show.
Whang was a consistent working figure in Hollywood, appearing on dozens of television shows during her lifetime. Along with her role on House Hunters, a position she held from 1999 to 2007, Whang appeared on shows like NBC’s Las Vegas and the long-running soap opera General Hospital. Her most recent acting gig was for an episode of Arrested Development, and she’s slated to appear in an upcoming episode of Anger Management as well.
