Julie Nimoy assured William Shatner of her father’s love after Leonard Nimoy’s death

Much has been made about the relationship between William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, especially after Nimoy passed away in 2015 and Shatner did not attend Nimoy’s funeral. In a recent interview with Variety (via CinemaBlend), Shatner revealed that he was one of the celebrities raising money for the Red Cross, which was held the same day as Nimoy’s funeral, and that he had an obligation to Mar-a-Largo at a fundraiser for the charity. He decided to honor his obligation.

Before Nimoy’s death, the former colleagues, who had been friends for 50 years, had grown distant, a fact that Shatner said he tried to rectify in the period leading up to his friend’s death. According to The Daily Star, Shatner tried to get in touch with Nimoy and even wrote him what he calls a “heartfelt letter” telling him how much he loved him. He wanted to see Nimoy but received no response. And Shatner was “hurt” and “devastated.”

Julie Nimoy offered an explanation for why her father chose to stop seeing Shatner before his death. She said Nimoy loved Shatner, but “he couldn’t bear to see him as his health continued to deteriorate.” The words were a small comfort to Shatner, who wants to believe that was the reason he stopped seeing his friend.

“Someone said they knew people who had gotten sick and didn’t want to see anyone because they were sick, and I’d like to say that was the reason.”

– William Shatne

Shatner wrote a book, “Leonard: My fifty-year friendship with a remarkable man“, which was published in 2017. The book, a New York Times bestseller, details the relationship between Shatner and Nimoy and takes readers on an emotional journey that, in the end, leaves no doubt about the friendship that existed between the two.