Vanessa Marquez's friends respond to her shooting death, say she was suffering from chronic illness

Variety

Friends of the former ER actress, who played nurse Wendy Goldman on the first three seasons of the hit NBC drama, told  The Daily Beast that she was “heartbroken” by her stalled career, and her suspicions of foul play. Marquez, who made headlines last year after she accused George Clooney and others on ER of blacklisting her from Hollywood, was shot dead Thursday by police after pulling a BB gun that looked like a handgun on officers on Thursday. The Daily Beast reports Marquez primarily interacted with her friends through the internet. She met two of her friends the #TCMParty for fans of Turner Classic Movies. “She was lovely, kind, sweet, encouraging,” says Paula Guthat, co-creator of TCM Party, who formed a relationship with Marquez via the phone even though they never met in person. “She definitely had her health challenges which were very severe. But she had a really sweet, enthusiastic personality.”