Johnny Ruffo’s girlfriend touches hearts with emotional tribute to late star

In a poignant post that tugged at the heartstrings of fans nationwide, Tahnee Sims, the girlfriend of the late star Johnny Ruffo, shared a heartfelt tribute on social media, commemorating the cherished moments they shared together.

Ruffo passed away at the age of 35 on Friday, November 10 after a long battle with brain cancer, triggering an outpouring of grief from fans and those close to him.

As fans and those who were close to him grapple with their grief, Sims took to Instagram to deliver a poignant tribute to her beloved partner.

The heartfelt post included a series of intimate photographs capturing the couple’s joyous moments together, highlighting the depth of their connection.

“A forever love,” she wrote alongside the touching images.

 

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A post shared by Tahnee Sims (@tahneesims)

The post quickly garnered an outpouring of support from fans and fellow celebrities alike, with many expressing their admiration for Sims’ courage and the enduring love between the couple.

“Darling…. I can’t imagine what you are going through. In our thoughts and prayers. Cannot wait to give you the biggest hug. We all loved Johnny so much but he was your honey and your soul mate and we ache for you,” Ruffo’s former Home and Away co-star, Lynne McGranger wrote.

“Omg My heart breaks for you, this made me cry, may the beautiful memories johnny leaves behind bring you comfort in your darkest days xx.”

“You were an inspiration to Johnny by his side till the end a soul mate who will meet him again in the next life,” another commented.

“I’m so sorry you’re hurting. But man what memories you both made together. You gave him life in his darkest days. He will always be with you xx.”

“Tahnee you are inspirational, brave and a beautiful soul for standing by Johnny’s side!!”

Ruffo was first diagnosed with brain cancer back in 2017 when what he believed to be a migraine turned out to be a very serious brain tumour.

Speaking with Who Magazine’s podcast Who Are You back in 2018, Ruffo recalled the terrifying ordeal, revealing that his girlfriend saved his life by rushing him to the hospital after he complained of a painful migraine.

Doctors initially told Sims to go home, believing Ruffo was simply experiencing a migraine.

But she woke to devastating news the next morning, as doctors revealed he had slipped into a coma due to a fist-sized tumour in his brain, which may have been growing for up to 10 years.

“The doctor said, ‘If you didn’t come in [to the hospital], you would have gone to sleep and you would have been dead’,” Ruffo said at the time.

“Basically [the tumour was] the size of my fist in my frontal lobe, so all that pressure was being put on my brain, which explains the severe headaches and blackouts.”

After successfully removing the tumour in 2017, Ruffo devastated fans when he penned a heartbreaking post announcing his brain cancer had returned in 2020.

Ruffo regularly kept fans updated with his health battle via social media, providing them with insights on his second bout with brain cancer.