Cristina Sanz, a cherished member of the groundbreaking reality series Born This Way on A&E, has tragically died at the age of 36.
Her devastated parents, Mariano and Beatriz, confirmed the news, explaining that the Emmy-winning TV personality experienced a sudden cardiac arrest on Monday, July 6, while attending her local day program.
In their announcement on social media, her parents expressed: “It is with a heavy heart that we share the news that our daughter, Cristina, passed away Monday morning. She suffered a sudden cardiac arrest while at her Day Program and was rushed to the hospital.”
“Despite the doctors’ best efforts to stabilize her heart, she did not survive. We are grateful that we were able to be by her side at the end. Her death was a total shock and unexpected. We will forever treasure the gift of her life. We will all carry in our hearts the wonderful ‘Cristina moments’ that she gave us.”
Following the news, A&E issued a tribute to Cristina, stating: “We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Cristina Sanz, who touched the hearts of many through her time on Born This Way. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to her family and all who had the privilege of knowing and working with her.”
Sanz became well-known in 2015 as one of the main cast members of Born This Way, a critically praised TV show that explored the lives, careers, and relationships of seven young adults with Down syndrome in Southern California.
The series was immediately successful, running for four widely acclaimed seasons and changing the landscape for disability representation on television.
In 2016, the show won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program, making Sanz part of a pioneering cast that broke industry barriers.
Audiences were drawn to Cristina’s bright and affectionate personality. During the show, fans watched her engage in independent living classes, develop her dance skills, and share a loving relationship with her then-partner, Angel Callahan.
“I want to show everyone that you can have a disability and get married,” Sanz famously told People after her wedding, solidifying her role as a motivational figure for countless families around the world.
In addition to her television career, Sanz was an active and valued member of her community in Long Beach, California.
She spent over six years volunteering at the Long Beach Senior Center and worked as a faculty staff assistant at a local middle school.
After the heartbreaking news of her death, tributes have poured in from fans, disability rights advocates, and viewers who remember her as “the absolute heart and soul of the room.”
Sanz leaves behind her parents, her extended family, and a close-knit community of friends and former castmates who joined her in reshaping what was possible for disability representation on television worldwide.