"For me, it was losing a family member" - Current WWE Superstar on his relationship with Shad Gaspard

Current WWE Superstar Shelton Benjamin recently looked back at his relationship with the late star Shad Gaspard.

Gaspard was best known for his time in WWE as one half of the Cryme Tyme tag team, alongside JTG. Though the two never captured the Tag Team Championships, they were one of the most popular duos of the mid-to-late 00s.

Shad lost his life in May 2020 on Venice Beach in California when he, his young son, and a group of other swimmers were caught up in a riptide. Gaspard lost his life while saving his son.

Shelton Benjamin was a member of WWE's roster during Shad's run, and the two became very close during that time. Benjamin spoke fondly about his relationship with Shad Gaspard and his son in a recent interview with Ryan Satin.

Calling him a "brother," Benjamin said that it was like losing a family member when Gaspard passed.

“When you get in this business, it’s really hard to find friends... Shad is one of the people I consider a brother from the time he got here. We became so close. I was with him when he became a dad. When he passed away, for me, it was losing a family member. Just like any other family, I look out for his family, his son, his widow,” Shelton said (H/T WrestlingNewsCo)

When did Shad Gaspard leave WWE?

Though he initially appeared on WWE TV as part of the reality series Tough Enough in 2002, Gaspard didn't make his way to WWE's main roster until 2006.

He competed alongside JTG in Cryme Tyme before turning on his partner at the end of their run. Gaspard was pushed as a heel during his short-lived singles run, but the character never went anywhere.

After his release from WWE in 2010, Shad made sporadic wrestling appearances in Japan, for example, and worked in several acting roles before his untimely demise in 2020.

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