The Latinx community is in mourning following the recent death of the legendary astrologer and TV icon, Walter Mercado, who passed away from kidney failure on Saturday, November 2, at the age of 87. Stars and fans of the late Puerto Rican immediately took to their social media accounts to share their grief and give their colondences. Zoe Saldana , Rosario Dawson and Dascha Polanco are among the many celebrities who acknowledged the former dancer’s death with RIP messages.
For 15 years, the famous television personality flooded the homes of Latinx families with his extravagant readings of horoscopes and predictions of the future. Not only was he idolized for his flamboyant wardrobe featuring gaudy, sparkly get-ups and flashy jewelry, but he always ended his segments by wishing his audience: “Pero sobre todo, mucho, mucho, mucho amor.”
Scroll through the gallery to see how celebrities have reacted to the death of Walter Mercado.
Raúl De Molina
The host of El Gordo y La Flaca shared a clip with Walter sitting on this “throne” and wrote, “This video is from only a few months back. Rest in peace one of the magic pioneers from Spanish television. Our ‘astro’ is now in heaven.“
Lili Estefan
Raul’s co-host, Lili Estefan, posted a snap with the late astrologer, and captioned it with: “Thank you Walter for your knowledge and your unique way of guiding us according to the astros, but more so thank you for your love. I will always remember you.”
Dascha Polanco
The Orange Is the New Black star expressed her desire for wanting to meet Walter. “I wanted to meet you. An Icon in our community, a voice from our childhood,” she wrote.
Rosario Dawson
Like Dascha, Rosario also commented on her wish to have met the iconic astrologer.
Zoe Saldana
The Avatar star kept her message brief with an image of Walter and “RIP.”
Maria Celeste
The former Primer Impacto anchorwoman remembered her co-star from their days on set together. “I will always remember the years in which we worked together, your sweetness, your connection with the universe, your capes and overall I will remember the way in which you lived…’with much peace, but overall with lots and lots of love.”
Gabe Gonzalez
The comedian shared his connection with the famed entertainer. “It's hard to explain what Walter Mercado meant to so many of us. He was a weekly staple in my home because my grandma loved him – but he also brought a sense of camp and magic to TV that felt lacking in my life as a young queer person.”
Denise Bidot
The model shared a clip of Walter clad in one of his famous capes on her stories.
Kid Mero
The one-half of comedy duo Desus & Mero shared how he watched the Latinx icon his entire life: “REST IN PEACE TO LATINX LEGEND WALTER MERCADO!!!!!....I WATCHED THIS GUY MY ENTIRE LIFE AT EVERY ABUELA AND TITIS HOUSE. DESCANSA EN PAZ Y MUCHO MUCHO MUCHO...AMORRRRR.”
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