UPDATE: We now have official confirmation on Paul Hadded’s passing, from an obituary in the Toronto Star (via Legacy).
You can find the obituary below.
“Paul Haddad passed away Saturday, April 11, 2020, peacefully and comfortably, after a brief and unexpected illness. His family would like to thank the caring and dedicated paramedics, doctors, nurses and staff at Toronto Western Hospital for all the care Paul received. He is survived by his loving mother Roslyn, cherished by his brothers, Matthew, Chris and John B, his sister Emma and nephews and nieces, Amy, Thomas, Ryan and Gracie, who will always love their Uncle Paul. He was born in Birmingham, England, May 20, 1963. He was an actor and studied at the National Theatre School of Canada. He was the most wickedly funny and talented man we have ever known. His bravery and love will always be an example to us all. Now he is resting peacefully with our father Parviz. ‘Good-night sweet Prince; And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.’ “
Original Story:
Paul Hadded, the first voice actor for Leon S. Kennedy in Resident Evil 2 (1998), has reportedly passed away at 56. Despite wide-spread reporting, none appear to cite a source.
The claims seemingly come from r/Resident Evil, the Resdient Evil fan wikia’s official Twitter, and Stevivor. However, none cite an obituary or statement from a loved one or friends. Some outlets have also cited reports from other outlets without citation, or unintentional circular reporting.
If true, Hadded had been suffering from stage three throat cancer (according to Wikipedia, who have also listed Hadded’s death without citation). In February, Hadded made an appeal on Facebook to help raise money for his third neurosurgery in three months, via GoFundMe.
Haddad was one of 30 people (and the 30th person) to have a DBS Device implanted in his brain, to help deal with extreme OCD. However, after a battery replacement, he developed a massive hematoma in post-op.
This was made worse by an infection, and meant the DBS Device had to be removed. The return of the OCD rendered him unable to work, and left him “broke as a Churchmouse.”
The funding was successful, raising $4,508 out of $2,000. Recent comments to Hadded’s Facebook post offer condolences, but it is impossible to tell if they had also heard the news from a genuine source. Stevivor cites an allegedly deleted Facebook post, claiming to be someone who knew Hadded. Another post they cite also appears to have been deleted.
Hadded was best known for being Leon S. Kennedy in 1998’s Resident Evil 2, along with Quicksilver in the 1990’s X-Men cartoon (along with other voices), Uncle Arthur in Barbar, ans Cleaner in Daymare: 1998. The casting of the latter role was heavily inspired by his role in Resident Evil 2.
We will keep you informed as we learn more, and attempt to find the truth behind this sensitive story.
Image: GoFundMe
