Zhanna Friske and her husband - their photos are still, even a few years after the death of the singer, can be found in print and online publications. A beautiful couple, glowing with happiness and not hiding tender feelings for each other. Who is he - the husband of Zhanna Friske, and what did he have to endure after the death of his beloved?
Dmitry Shepelev was the first and only husband of the once mega-popular singer Zhanna Friske, albeit a civilian. It was he who became the father of her child, was there when the woman was struggling with a serious, incurable illness, withstood the attacks of relatives and the press with dignity after her death. But he is not only Jeanne's widower, but also a successful showman, one of the brightest presenters of Channel One and a man with a capital letter. Dmitry was not afraid to take on the responsibilities of raising his son, and did not shift them onto the shoulders of grandparents.
Dmitry Shepelev - biography and career
Dmitry, a native of Minsk, from a family of "techies" far from art and television, was born in January 1983. He received his secondary education in his hometown, and his higher education, specializing in journalism, at the Belarusian State University.
Dmitry Shepelev began his TV presenter career in the 9th grade - he was the host of the 5x5 entertainment program. Shepelev worked on Belarusian television and while studying at the university, he broadcast live from the concert of Robbie Williams, acted as a DJ on one of the radio channels.
The young man graduated from BSU with honors, despite the fact that several times they wanted to expel him for absenteeism. The decision was constantly canceled, since the reason for missing classes was valid - the guy worked, and he worked according to the profile of his course.
In 2009, Dmitry Shepelev was invited to the Russian "First Channel" - he began to broadcast "Property of the Republic", where he met his future wife - Zhanna Friske.
Zhanna Friske and Dmitry Shepelev - a love story
Before meeting Zhanna, Dmitry Shepelev was married, but he considered him a mistake of his youth. The family broke up almost immediately after the wedding, they had no children.
He met Zhanna Shepelev on the set of "Property of the Republic", but a close relationship began only two years later. In the summer of 2011, Dmitry flew to Miami for Friske's birthday as a friend, and the young people met the New Year as a couple.
A few months later, Zhanna announced her breakup with Dmitry, but soon the couple began to appear together again at events, and they could not hide tender feelings for each other.
Many accused Shepelev of trying to build a career at the expense of his popular girlfriend, but the guy was not a womanizer, did not have affairs with other celebrities. As a result, the press left him and Friske alone.
The couple planned a wedding, the script was discussed, a place was chosen for it, but it never took place. Zhanna's tour, Dmitry's shooting - the career of civil spouses took up a lot of time, and there was practically no time left for his personal life.
Birth of a son and civil marriage
In her rare interviews, Zhanna Friske often said that she was ready to give up her career and give birth to a child if a man worthy of such "gifts" appears in her life. And he appeared - Dmitry Shepelev.
Zhanna never left the profession, but she gave birth to her beloved child - on April 7, 2013, Platon Dmitrievich Shepelev was born. Jeanne gave birth in one of the private clinics in Miami, the common-law husband was nearby.
The news did not immediately appear in the press about the addition to the Shepelev-Friske family. Then Dmitry explained this by Jeanne's desire. She loved to repeat - happiness loves silence. But, as it turned out, there were other reasons why the couple did not share their joy. Even during pregnancy, Zhanna Friske was diagnosed with a terrible and practically incurable disease - glioblastoma (a brain tumor that cannot be operated on).
The woman was warned that pregnancy and hormonal changes associated with it could trigger the acceleration of tumor growth, but Jeanne did not abandon the child.
Jeanne's illness and Dmitry's confrontation with her family
Jeanne's illness turned the life of the couple and her loved ones upside down. It progressed, even the best doctors whom her common-law husband, relatives and friends found for Friske, were powerless.
Only Dmitry knew about the terrible diagnosis in the first months. Zhanna did not want to upset her parents, her sister, until the very last moment she believed that she would cope with the misfortune. Shepelev supported her in every possible way, but, in the end, convinced the common-law spouse that loved ones have the right to know the truth, and it is necessary to tell about the problem.
Friske was treated in several Western clinics, but all measures were useless. She passed away in June 2015. During the funeral, Dmitry was in Bulgaria. Together with Jeanne's family, they decided that little Plato had nothing to attend the funeral. In addition, the boy needed to be protected from the attention of the press.
After the death of Zhanna, a flurry of negativity fell on Dmitry Shepelev from her parents, or rather her father. They demanded that he return the money, then they accused him of not allowing him to see Plato. But Dmitry withstood these tests with dignity. He understood that this negative is the consequences of a terrible loss for Jeanne's parents.
