John Masius has died aged 75 after a nine-month decline from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), his ex-wife, actress Ellen Bry, has announced. The writer and producer won two Emmys for his work on St. Elsewhere, the show his wife worked on, and created network dramas including Touched by an Angel and Providence.

He also worked on Hawthorne with Jada Pinkett Smith and Michael Vartan. Masius' long career saw him write and product St. Elsewhere for its entire six-season run - from 1982 to 1987 - where he receivied writing Emmys in 1984 and 1986, among 14 nominations for his work on the show.

The writer has been celebrated for years due to his talent in the arts, which saw him also take home multiple Writers Guild Awards, Humanitias Prizes, a People's Choice Award and the Peabody Award.

Despite that, his ex wife said he "never measured success by trophies", adding: "What mattered most to him was whether his stories touched people, whether they gave comfort, sparked laughter or inspired compassion."

He is survived by his three children, Hannah, Max and Sam, and his former wife Ellen.

ALS is a rare motor neuron disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, which leads to muscle weakness, paralysis and eventual death due to respiratory failure.

It results in signals from the brain to the muscles being disrupted which affects movement, speech, breathing and swallowing. There is no cure, but symptoms can be managed with therapies to help quality of life.

Stephen Hawking had ALS for 55 years, and Grey's Anatomy star Eric Dane also revealed his diagnosis in April 2025.