Richard E. Grant says friends avoid him in street since wife Joan Washington died from cancer

Richard E. Grant has said that friends avoid him in the street following the death of his beloved wife Joan Washington almost two years ago.

The 65-year-old actor, who shared a daughter with his late spouse, was devastated when the voice and dialect coach died following an eight-month battle with lung cancer.

As if losing the love of his life after 35 years of marriage wasn’t hard enough, it seems it has also resulted in the loss of some friendships too.

The Jack and Sarah star shared a video on Instagram detailing a bizarre encounter with some so-called friends he said he had known for 25 years yet instead of greeting him, “ducked” their heads when they saw him.

Richard E. Grant pictured with his wife Joan Washington (right) and their daughter Olivia (AFP via Getty Images)

“I’ve returned to the South of France and have just seen a Swedish couple that I’ve known for 25 years. As I walked toward them, they just ducked their heads, what were they expecting? Extraordinary,” he said in the clip.

Grant captioned the post: “Walking widower encountering so called ‘friends’ who edit themselves out of your Life.”

If the incident caused him any hurt, he was soon inundated with messages of support from his followers who told him to pay no heed to ignorant people and that he “didn’t need friends like that”.

“The ‘friends’ who leave your life when you go through some of the hardest toughest times of your life were never truly your friends to start with if they can disappear so easy , so no loss if they no longer want to be in your life , the ones that matter will always be there day in and day out or at the other end of the phone willing to just listen when you need to talk,” one person penned.

Richard E. Grant told how some ‘friends’ he had known for 25 years ‘ducked their heads’ when they saw him in the street (Instagram)

“Chin up Richard, your true friends will never leave you,” agreed another.

Others shared their own experiences of similar situations, writing: “I often wonder why people do this. I remember saying to a man who had lost his wife many years ago I was very sorry and sad for his loss. I loved his wife. He said thanks so much.

“Many people don’t know what to say and avoid talking with me because they think it will make me feel worse. I learnt in that moment never to avoid the grief another is going through and to offer my love and support. It’s not about me. I hope we all learn from this post that avoidance causes more damage than the grief itself.”