Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall's final days together were the opposite of a celebrity love story.

On August 5, 2023, Sandra Bullock's long-term partner Bryan Randall passed away at the age of 57 - now, the actress has honoured him on what would have been his birthday.

Bullock's sister, pastry chef and Food Network Show host Gesine Bullock-Prado, shared a video to Instagram, showing a frozen river. The caption read: "Happy birthday, Bry. Sandy brought you to the river, just as she promised."

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A post shared by Gesine Bullock-Prado (@gesinebp)

The Blind Side star seems to have spread Bryan's ashes.

Bryan died in August 2023 after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (otherwise known as ALS) for three years.

"It is with great sadness that we share that on August 5, Bryan Randall passed away peacefully after a three-year battle with ALS," Bryan's family told People at the time.

"Bryan chose early to keep his journey with ALS private and those of us who cared for him did our best to honour his request."

Sandra never spoke publicly about her partner's condition.

The actor's sister Gesine Bullock-Prado took to her Instagram to share her condolences. Her words shone a light on what life had been like for the Hollywood A-lister in the days leading up to Bryan's passing. 

"I'm convinced that Bry has found the best fishing spot in heaven and is already casting his lure into rushing rivers teaming with salmon," the post began. 

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A post shared by Gesine Bullock-Prado (@gesinebp)

"ALS is a cruel disease but there is some comfort in knowing he had the best of caretakers in my amazing sister and the band of nurses she assembled who helped her look after him in their home."

Gesine concluded the post with "Rest in peace, Bryan."

ALS is a fatal motor neurone disease with an average life expectancy after diagnosis of two to five years, however, some patients live for more years or even decades.

Octavia Spencer met Sandra on the set of A Time to Kill in 1996 before the actors reunited in 2005’s Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous. She also shared her sympathies after his passing, writing on Instagram that her "heart is broken for Sandy and Bryan".

She continued: "Sandy lost her soulmate and the world lost a talented, handsome, all around good guy!

"In heaven, there's a tiny little lady up there who looks an awful lot like me bossing the Angels around. Especially Gabriel. She'll get him to play any song you want to hear. Give her a kiss from me."

While little is known about Bryan's ALS diagnosis, Sandra announced in March 2022 that she was stepping away from acting to focus on her family. 

After filming Lost City with Channing Tatum, the actor confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that she would be taking a hiatus and return to "the place that makes me happiest".  

"And I just want to be 24/7 with my babies and my family. That's where I'm gonna be for a while."

Before his death, Sandra and Bryan lived a quiet life together with their children, removed from the glare of Hollywood. Many people from within their closest circles were not aware of what the couple was going through privately. 

A longtime friend of Bryan claimed that a year ago, the photographer stopped replying to her text messages. 

Boxer Mia St. John knew Bryan through her daughter Paris, who dated Bryan from 2012 to 2015. Mia told The US Sun that she had reached out to him multiple times but had heard nothing back. "I was wondering what had happened to him because I hadn't heard from him in over a year," the 56-year-old boxer said.  

"And so I thought, 'Well, that's really weird'... It's been a long time and I was thinking, "God, I hope he's OK. I haven't heard from him."'

Mia said she had stayed in touch with Bryan following his split from her daughter.  

Sandra began dating Bryan in August 2015 while he was working as a photographer, after he photographed the actor's adopted son Louis, now 13.

The couple spent the following years raising Louis, Sandra's adopted daughter Laila, along with Bryan's daughter Skylar.

In a rare interview, Sandra opened up about her relationship on Jada Pinkett's Red Table Talk in December 2021. 

"He's the example that I would want my children to have," the Gravity actress said. 

"I have a partner who's very Christian and there are two different ways of looking at things. I don't always agree with him, and he doesn't always agree with me. But he is an example even when I don't agree with him. … We're saying it differently but we mean the exact same thing."

She said she didn't plan on marrying Bryan after her first marriage to Jesse James hadn't worked out. The couple's five-year marriage ended in divorce in 2010 because of infidelity on his part. 

"I am someone who went through the divorce process. I found the love of my life. We share two beautiful children — three children, his older daughter. It's the best thing ever," she said. 

"I don't need a paper to be a devoted partner and devoted mother."

Sandra and Bryan chose to keep the final years of his life private and it was only after his death, through the words of their family and friends, that we were given a glimpse into what those difficult years really looked like.

Our interest in celebrity couples and Hollywood love stories is usually centred on couples who put on a bit of a show. Who share their lives on red carpets and in interviews, and whose romance plays out against the lush backdrop of the glitzy industry they work in.

While we are usually drawn to celebrity relationship scandals or public declarations of romance, Sandra and Bryan's love story played out in a very different way. Which is why it deserves to be celebrated and remembered. 

This article was first published on August 6 2023 and has since been updated with new information.

Feature image: Getty.