Love Actually star Martine McCutcheon has thanked fans for their support after announcing on Tuesday, October 11 that her younger brother, LJ, had passed away in a heartbreaking tribute on Instagram. The actor and singer, 46, said that Laurence John - known as LJ - died "suddenly" a few weeks ago, aged just 31 and that there was "no medical explanation" for his death.
Later in the day, the former EastEnders actress wrote on Instagram Stories: “Thank you for your amazing messages of love and support regarding the loss of my brother LJ,” accompanied by a black heart emoji. “They mean the world to me,” she confirmed.
Continuing, she described how she was keen to “share a true and fitting tribute to LJ’s life" before any speculation. She said: “However LJ has a whole family grieving, and whilst I had to address it, we do also need time to grieve,” adding that they would not be issuing further comment at this current time.
