Bad star Kristin Chenoweth is sending love to her late boyfriend, Broadway actor Gavin Creel.

Chenoweth performed an emotional cover of Dolly Parton’s song “I Will Always Love You,” dedicated to Creel, on Monday’s episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show.

“This song is for my friend Gavin Creel, who is in heaven, and I miss him every day. I love you, Gavin,” Chenoweth said.

Creel died in July at the age of 48 after being diagnosed with a rare form of sarcoma in July.

A Broadway favorite since 2002, where he played Jimmy Smith Thoroughly modern Millieoriginated the role of Hollis Bessemer in Stephen Sondheim’s Bounceand played the role of Jean-Michel in the revival of La Cage aux Folles. He was also drawn She loves me, into the woods, Her, The Book of Mormon, And Waitress. Creel received widespread praise, including a Tony, for his turn in the 2017 revival Hello, Dollie!in which he played Cornelius Hackl.

When Creel died, Chenoweth shared a video of the two embracing after what appears to be one of his shows.

He tells her, “I love you.”

“I love you too Gavin,” Chenoweth wrote. “RIP my friend. You will be so missed. Our community loves you so much! Fly with the angels, brother!”

Chenoweth’s intimate moment with another famous friend, Ariana Grande, was revealed earlier this month on the Broadway Podcast Network’s Bad podcast, Sentimental men. Grande explained what happened when she told Chenoweth, who played Glinda in the Broadway show that debuted in 2003.

“I finally confessed to her, I said, ‘Hey, I think they’re doing this now, and I think I want to go for Glinda,’ and she went into the bathroom, closed the door and started crying,” said Grande. by Chenoweth, who plays a smaller role in the film. “It was the sweetest thing in the world. Oh my god, it makes me emotional. It was so cute. She was like, ‘I was hoping this would happen. I love you, and I trust you with it, little girl.’ .’ She said, ‘Just do your thing. You’re so funny and you have great instincts and no one knows that.’ And I just thought, ‘Okay.'”

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