[NEWS] Original 'Willy Wonka' Violet Beauregarde actress taken off life support

[Your Name]

:-(


From NZHerald.co.nz ...


Willy Wonka star Denise Nickerson who played Violet Beauregarde
taken off life support a year after suffering stroke
---------------------------------------------------------------
Willy Wonka star Denise Nickerson has been removed from life support
after a year-long health battle.

Nickerson won over generations of fans with her starring role as
gum-chewing Violet Beauregarde in the original 1971 film Willy
Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

The 62-year-old actress suffered a stroke last year and has since
been in the care of her son Josh, and his wife, Jasmine.

Nickerson's family told TMZ she had been rushed to hospital and
placed on life support on Tuesday after being diagnosed with
pneumonia before suffering a massive seizure.

Her condition continued to worsen before the decision was made to
take her off the respirator and stop giving her medication. The
family believe it's now just a matter of time before she passes.

Jasmine yesterday posted on Facebook a link to a GoFundMe page to
help them fulfil Nickerson 's wish to be cremated and have her
ashes turned into glass artwork.

"We don't know how much time she has. It could be minutes. It
could be hours. But no matter what, she's already gone," the page
explains.

"We are sitting here with her just trying to keep her comfortable
and let her know it's okay."

In Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Nickerson played one of
five children to win a Golden Ticket to take a tour of Wonka's
mysterious factory.

A huge fan of chewing gum, Violet steals a piece that Wonka -
played by Gene Wilder - is developing. Despite his warnings she
eats the gum, which causes her to blow up like a huge blueberry.

Nickerson's career also saw her feature in episodes of The Brady
Bunch, Dark Shadows and The Electric Company.

Her health struggles come after Wilder passed away in 2016 after
battling Alzheimer's disease.


<https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/news/article.cfm?objectid=12248562>

[Your Name]

It's being reported on various news websites and the family Facebook
page that Denise Nickerson has now died. :-(


From Variety.com ...


Denise Nickerson, Violet in 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,'
Dies at 62
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Denise Nickerson, best known for her role as Violet Beauregarde in
the 1971 version of "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," died
Wednesday night after being taken off life support. She was 62.

Her family made the announcement on Facebook. "She's gone," the
message read.

Nickerson suffered a severe stroke in June 2018 after which she
entered the ICU for treatment. Despite entering a rehab facility
later in the year, her son Josh Nickerson took to Facebook earlier
Wednesday to announce her debilitating state which led to their
decision to cease life support. "They just took off all the
equipment. None of it was helping, but making her only more
uncomfortable," he wrote. "We're telling her it's okay to let go."

Nickerson's son and his wife Jasmine also created a GoFundMe page
where the couple is posting updates on Nickerson's health, where
they reported that she had suffered from seizures shortly after
being admitted into the hospital and later entered a "coma-like"
state.

Jasmine also noted on the page her heartbreak for her husband. The
couple announced in March that they're expecting a baby girl. "He
is just coming to terms with the reality of the situation and
doesn't know how to process it. He says to me a few minutes ago
that she won't ever get to see or hold or know her granddaughter,"
she wrote.

Nickerson was a young teen when she played the gum-chewing and
sassy Violet, who turns into a giant blueberry, in the first movie
version of the iconic childrens' book, opposite Gene Wilder as
Willy Wonka.

Before that, she appeared on "Sesame Street" companion series "The
Electric Company" as Alison. On "Dark Shadows," she played Amy
Jennings and Nora Collins from 1968-70. After appearing in soap
opera "Search for Tomorrow" and several small roles in films
including "Smile" before retiring from acting at age 21. She
continued to make her living as a nurse.


<https://variety.com/2019/film/news/denise-nickerson-dead-willy-wonka-violet-actress-chocolate-factory-1203264515/>