One Tree Hill's Bevin Prince's Husband Killed by Lightning
William Friend, Husband of "One Tree Hill" Alum Bevin Prince, Killed by Lightning
William Friend, the husband of "One Tree Hill" actor Bevin Prince, was struck and killed by lightning in North Carolina over the weekend, the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office said, CNN reported on July 7. Friend, who was the CEO of digital media company Bisnow, was 33.
Local news outlet WECT News 6 said Friend was on Masonboro Island near Wilmington, North Carolina, at the time of the strike. Responding deputies and EMS performed life-saving efforts on Friend, but were unable to resuscitate him. In the company's own confirmation of Friend's death, Bisnow COO and CFO Gregg Mayer said in a statement, "What made Will special was his innate ability to inspire and motivate people — to raise people higher than they thought possible. That is the culture he fostered at Bisnow and, ultimately, that will be his lasting legacy."
Prince, who played Bevin Mirskey on "One Tree Hill" throughout the teen drama's run from 2003 to 2012 and had since worked as a SoulCycle instructor before opening her own spin studio in North Carolina, has not publicly reacted to her husband's death. Her company Recess, however, posted a statement on Instagram, saying, "We greatly appreciate the outpouring of love and support we've received from our Recess community. Will's knowledge, guidance, and support is the foundation that Recess is built on." Continued the note, "Recess is the business that Will and his wife Bevin had been building and growing in their new North Carolina home. There was nothing Will respected or valued more than the American Dream, entrepreneurship, and women in business. We know he wanted to see this business continue to great success and lead to the employment of many more people. Creating rewarding and meaningful jobs for others was the legacy Will wanted to leave. Thank you for helping us to honour him in the way that we are certain he would have wanted us to."
Prince, 39, and Friend had just celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary in May. For their fifth anniversary, Prince shared a sweet message for her husband: "We have come so far and I am so proud of the life we have built. You make life delicious, my love. I love you."
According to the National Weather Service, lightning kills around 20 people each year in the US. Hundreds more are injured by lightning yearly.
