'One Tree Hill' Star Bevin Prince's Husband Was Struck by Lightning at 33 — They Were Married for 6 Years

The world is mourning with "One Tree Hill" Star Bevin Prince following the sudden demise of her husband, William Friend. He died a week before his 34th birthday in one of the most tragic ways.

Prince has enjoyed quite an interesting personal life away from the spotlight until recently. The actress lost her husband unexpectedly, and it has seen her once-happy life turn upside down. The "One Tree Hill" star was happily married to William Friend.

It is unclear how the pair met or when they started dating, but pictures shared on social media proved that the couple was in love. Netizens first saw Friend and Prince's romance on December 29, 2013, when the latter posted her late husband on Instagram.

Afterward, pictures capturing the pair's love and fun moments became a regular sight for fans and followers. After many years of dating, Friend and Prince eventually exchanged wedding vows on May 22, 2016, in front of friends and family in Turks and Caicos.

Then, in 2020, the couple moved to Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, to be closer to the actress's family due to the coronavirus pandemic. Here are more details about Bevin Prince, her husband, and his unfortunate demise.

WHO WAS THE HUSBAND OF BEVIN PRINCE?

Friend was labeled as an amazing British man who also loved America. He was born in London but moved to the US when he was 15 years old, against his parents' wishes.

Upon moving to America, Friend attended high school at St. Albans School in Washington DC. Afterward, he furthered his education at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and graduated in 2010.

After graduating from college, Friend joined the Digital media company Bisnow Media. Three years later, he was appointed the COO, and in 2015 through hard work, he became the CEO of the prestigious organization.

According to the company website, Friend was pivotal in the evolution of the company from a small local events business to an AI platform for the multi-trillion-dollar commercial real estate market.

Then in 2020, after he moved to North Carolina with Prince, Friend and his wife created a cycling and fitness company called Recess. The CEO appeared to be into fitness, as his Instagram profile notes that he was an average amateur triathlete.

Besides his professional achievements, there are other lesser-known facts about Friend, one of which is that he was an animal lover. He loved dogs especially, and images posted on his wife's Instagram prove it. In addition, Friend also loved the beach. He loved spending time in the sand with Prince and sharing the beautiful moments with his Instagram followers.

HE PASSED AWAY A WEEK BEFORE 34 BIRTHDAY: WHAT HAPPENED?

On July 3, 2022, Friend passed away after he was struck by lightning. According to a report from Daily Mail, the young CEO was on a boat with his friends off Masonboro Island, near Wilmington.

After the tragic incident, the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit, alongside the Wilmington Police Department's Marine Office, responded to the location. Immediately, deputies began CPR on Friend while transporting him to Bradley Creek Marina to meet Emergency Medical Services.

Then, the CEO was placed in an ambulance where emergency responders tried to resuscitate him. They tried their best for 20 minutes, but all efforts to resuscitate Friend were futile.

Sadly, at 3:15 pm, the emergency responders pronounced the 33-year-old dead. Afterward, the deceased's corpse was sent to a local hospital, where the Emergency Medical Services met with Friend's family.

Friend passed away one week before his 34th birthday on July 9, 2022. He was survived by his wife. Since he passed away, many friends, celebrities, and fans have paid tribute to the Bisnow CEO, including American Actress and Prince's best friend, Odette Annable.

On July 7, 2022, she took to Instagram to share photos of the deceased and his wife's happy times. They were accompanied by a caption that read:

"The unimaginable has happened, and we have to say goodbye to another friend, @britwilliam. My best friend @bevinaprince beloved husband."

Next, she recounted how good Friend was, not only to Prince but to everyone around. According to Annable, the deceased was a perfect husband in every way and always supported his wife's dreams and adored her with his soul.

"Being here with Bevin, hearing her share stories about you and your love breaks my heart for her because she lost the love of her life, and the world lost a good one," she continued.

In the end, Annable prayed for Friend's soul to rest in peace, adding that she was certain he would still be with Prince, his brothers, and his entire family. Then, she wrote:

"At only 33 years old, you did it, and you went out like no other in a blaze of glory. May you Rest In Peace, you charming, witty, beautiful British man who loved the [expletive] out of America. I love you."

Since Annable's post was shared, it has garnered almost 12,000 likes and more than 200 reactions. In addition, fellow celebrities have trooped to the comments section to drop their heartfelt condolences. The likes of Beverly Mitchell, October Gonzalez, Rick Gonzalez, Kaley Cuoco, and Ivana Milicevic were not left out.

Prince is yet to make a post about her husband's demise, but in the meantime, netizens can only pray and remain hopeful that she stays strong during this difficult time. Friend will always be remembered for his kindness towards people around him. May his soul continue to Rest In Peace.