Living Her Life

Last year started out on a high note for new co-host of “The Talk,” Amanda Kloots as she and her husband of three years, Broadway star Nick Cordero, relocated from New York City to Los Angeles.

The couple, who first met on the set of “Bullets Over Broadway,” was excited to start a new chapter in their lives with their infant son, Elvis. Cordero was set to star in the West Coast production of “Rock of Ages,” the same musical he had made his Broadway debut in eight years prior. Kloots, a former Broadway dancer and Radio City Rockette, had launched her own business as a fitness entrepreneur and was looking forward to bringing her unique AK! Fitness classes to Southern California.

“We were both so excited for this new adventure,” Kloots told fans in an Instagram post. “We arrived in Los Angeles the day before Nick’s birthday and thought, ‘what a great way to kick off his 41st year.’” 

Life was good for the couple until early March when Cordero began experiencing extreme fatigue and breathing problems. Although news outlets were just starting to report on a novel coronavirus spreading across the world, Cordero wasn’t exhibiting any of the typical symptoms of COVID-19 such as loss of smell or taste, fever and cough. 

On March 20, doctors diagnosed Cordero with severe pneumonia. Ten days later his condition took a turn for the worse and Kloots drove him to the emergency room at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Because of pandemic restrictions, Kloots couldn’t accompany her husband inside the hospital, yet when they said goodbye both anticipated that he would be sent home from the ER a few hours later.

Sadly, that never happened. After being admitted to the hospital, Cordero tested positive for COVID-19 and although he had no pre-existing health conditions, had to be intubated and placed on a ventilator. Kloots coped by chronicling the ups and downs of her husband’s hospitalization on her Instagram account, offering regular updates on his condition. Each day, her more than half a million Instagram followers offered Kloots words of support and prayers for Cordero’s recovery. Many had followed his career on Broadway where the athletic and charismatic performer had entranced audiences in “Waitress,” “Rock of Ages” and “Bullets Over Broadway,” “A Bronx Tale,” and on the television show, “Blue Bloods.” During his time in the hospital, Cordero’s fans would log on to Instagram Live, every afternoon and sing his original song, “Life Your Life,” to support him in his recovery.

Although there were moments when her husband’s health seemed to be improving, there were also setbacks including a mini-stroke, blood clots and the amputation of one of his legs. Despite a valiant fight, Cordero died July 5 from complications of COVID-19 after spending more than 90 days in the hospital. 

Writing To Heal

By recording her thoughts on Instagram, Kloots discovered that writing also helped her navigate the grief she was feeling after her husband’s death. Shortly after Cordero’s passing, she and her sister, Anna Kloots, began writing the book, “Live Your Life: My Story of Loving and Losing Nick Cordero” which was just released.  

“Around the same time that Nick was admitted to the hospital, the world came to a halt because of the coronavirus,” Kloots says. “I wanted to document not only Nick’s fight, but that unimaginable year in our history.”

Although the past year has evoked a rollercoaster of emotions, Kloots says the outpouring of kindness shown to her by family, friends and even strangers has helped her cope with the loss of her husband.

“I’m so grateful for everyone who reached out to me with information on possible COVID treatments for Nick or did kind things like leaving a meal on my doorstep,” Kloots says. “There were days that were so incredibly hard and the kindness I was shown in the hospital and by friends helped me cope. Family and even complete strangers on Instagram helped me to remain positive while Nick was in the ICU.”

Kloots, 39, also hopes that her book will help others who lost a loved one to COVID-19.

Looking To The Future

In the weeks following her husband’s death, Kloots says there were days when she felt she couldn’t even function. She found solace watching her son, (born June 2019) grow into an active toddler and planning special weekly adventures for the two of them.  “Elvis is currently obsessed with ‘trash trucks’ and recently we toured the Los Angeles Sanitation Department where Elvis had the time of his life seeing how the trucks worked and even getting to sit in the driver’s seat of one of the trucks,” Kloots says.

She also keeps Cordero’s memory alive by telling Elvis stories about his dad and playing his music to their son.

“Every night before bed, Elvis will kiss a photo of Nick and say goodnight to his dad.” Kloots says. “I tell Elvis that his dad can visit him in his dreams and join him on an adventure.”

This year, Kloots also embarked on her own new adventure when she began co-hosting the popular daytime television show, “The Talk.” “We have such a different and diverse show and I’m so excited to be a part of it and to add my viewpoint to the conversation,” she says. “Each of us brings our own experiences to ‘The Talk.’ I’m the only mother on the show, I went through a divorce [she was married to Broadway actor, David Larsen, for six years before marrying Nick] and I’m still a Midwestern girl at heart who grew up in Canton, Ohio with four siblings.”

In addition to her work on “The Talk,” Kloots keeps busy with her digital fitness brand. After working as a celebrity personal trainer in New York City, Kloots launched her AK! Fitness subscription series last year, allowing people to enjoy at-home workouts during quarantine. Subscribers can choose from workouts including dance cardio, a jump rope workout and more. 

“I launched my fitness classes in 2016 after my divorce as a way of dealing with my own stress at the time,” Kloots says. “I offered in-person fitness classes in New York City and when the pandemic hit, it seemed like a good time to offer virtual classes and to show people how they could move their bodies at home in order to feel better both physically and mentally.”

Kloots says that her workouts, combined with her strong faith, have given her strength during the past year.

“In general, I’m a really optimistic person, although it’s not always easy,” Kloots says. “When I wake up each morning, I start the day with a positive quote that resonates with me. I also put on music and practice exhaling and inhaling and getting rid of any negative thoughts.”

Kloots has also channeled her positivity into a line of T-shirts, “Hooray For,” that she co-founded with her sister, Anna, to celebrate happiness and give back to charitable causes.

“Anna and I created ‘Hooray For’ to celebrate the things in life that make us happy and the people who are doing good work on behalf of others,” Kloots says. “Our ‘Hooray for Health Heroes’ shirt donates 50% of proceeds to the WHO COVID-19 response fund. We’ve also started selling shirts that benefit animal rescue, breast cancer and more.”

Kloots says that keeping busy also helps with her grief. When a friend suggested she take up a new hobby that she could immerse herself in and create new memories Kloots decided to take up tennis. “I’d always wanted to learn how to play tennis but for one reason or another had never made the time,” Kloots says. “Last year, my friend wouldn’t allow me to make any excuses and after I started playing, I found I really enjoyed trying something new and that it made me happy.”

As she looks to the future, Kloots is working to create a new normal for herself and Elvis. She recently started therapy to help her deal with her husband’s death and to process all that has happened this past year.

In a recent interview with CreateCultivate.com, Kloots summed up her career and why she strives to maintain an attitude of positivity by saying, “When you look at your life and find the things you are grateful for, it keeps you positive. You can easily focus on all the things you don’t have in life or you can focus on what you have. Throughout the day and at night, when I pray before bedtime, I thank God for all of my blessings.”