Jean Smart adopted Forrest from China in 2009 with her late husband Richard Gilliland, who sadly passed away in March following a short illness (via Page Six). During her acceptance speech, for which she received a standing ovation, the actress also paid an emotional tribute to Gilliland, who died earlier this year at the age of 71.
"Before I say anything else, I have to acknowledge my late husband Richard Gilliland, who passed away six months yesterday. I would not be here without him, without his sort of putting his career on the back burner so that I could take advantage of all the wonderful opportunities that I've had," she told the star-studded audience (via People).
But beyond their dedication to each other and their careers and successes, Smart has always stressed that Gilliland was a true family man. "He was a great dad, and he made me laugh every day," Smart recently revealed to Variety. "Him passing away was just not ever even a thought. And it's changed every moment of my everyday life; every atom of my existence I feel like is altered."
