Cherilyn McGraw was ecstatic when she won a free trip to Australia after competing in a game on "Ellen" last January.
But McGraw's dream vacation turned into a nightmare after her husband, Gunnery Sgt. Brandon McGraw, 33, died in a parachute accident last weekend after the couple went skydiving out of the same plane.
Cherilyn did a tandem jump, but Brandon, being a marine, was experienced and followed by jumping solo.
"Approximately 300 feet from the ground, Brandon's parachute suddenly caused him to turn radically right and left and he crashed to the ground. He was pronounced dead at the scene," an employee from the skydiving school told TMZ.
Capt. Barry Morris with Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command told WCTI that McGraw was a "well-trained free-faller."
Cherilyn posted a message on Facebook with photos inside the plane before the jump, saying, "My hero. My angel. These are truly such symbolic photos. He was happy and doing what he loved."
DeGeneres released the following statement to Us Weekly on Thursday: "I've been speaking with Cherilyn. And my staff has been in touch with her as well. She's asked us to help keep this private as she tries to deal with this unimaginable tragedy. I hope everyone respects that."
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