Sam Neill’s former partner has provided new details regarding the actor’s final illness ahead of further information expected from his family. Neill, the 78-year-old star best known for his role in Jurassic Park, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly earlier this week.

Laura Tingle, an Australian journalist who was in a relationship with Neill from 2018 to 2021, revealed that the actor had been seriously ill in the two weeks leading up to his death. She explained on the Sydney Mornings radio program that Neill had been diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer in 2022. Although he was reportedly cancer-free at the time of his passing, Tingle noted that the illness had taken a significant toll on his body and weakened his immune system.

“He’d been fighting various forms of cancer for at least the last five years intensively,” Tingle said, adding that Neill underwent extensive chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments. She described how the treatments ultimately cleared the cancer but left his immune defenses compromised, which contributed to his declining health in recent weeks. “He’s been pretty sick for the last couple of weeks,” she said, emphasizing the exhaustion his body faced as a result of the prolonged battle.

Further insight came from Rima Te Wiata, who worked alongside Neill in the 2016 Taika Waititi film Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Speaking to a New Zealand news outlet, Te Wiata said that Neill contracted pneumonia in his final days. “I think he would be like, ‘For goodness sake, I got over my cancer. And now look, now I get pneumonia. What next?’” she remarked, highlighting the actor’s misfortune in facing another serious health challenge on top of his cancer recovery.

Neill’s family has requested privacy as they cope with the loss and indicated that additional information regarding the circumstances of his death will be released in due course. They described their current focus as navigating the “immeasurable loss” following his passing.

Neill’s death marks the loss of a prominent figure in film and television, known for his extensive career spanning several decades and acclaimed roles that brought him international recognition.