‘Downton Abbey’ star Michelle Dockery’s fiance, John Dineen, dies at 34

Michelle Dockery’s fiance, John Dineen, has died after battling a rare form of cancer.

“The family is very grateful for the support and kindness they have received but would kindly request that they are left to grieve in private,” a rep for the “Downtown Abbey” actress told The Times on Tuesday.

Dineen, a commercial public relations executive, reportedly died in hospice care in Cork, Ireland, on Sunday, with Dockery at his bedside. The 34-year-old was being treated at Marymount Hospice, which specializes in palliative cancer treatment, according to several reports.

The Ireland native was diagnosed earlier this year and sought a pioneering treatment in Germany after his diagnosis, the Irish Independent said.

Dockery, who plays the unlucky-in-love Lady Mary Crawley on the PBS period drama, started dating Dineen in September 2013 after being introduced by costar Allen Leech, who plays Mary’s brother-in-law Tom Branson. Dineen reportedly popped the question last February.

The actress turns 34 today and would be spending her birthday making funeral arrangements, the Independent said. People reported that she was “left devastated.”

The Golden Globe winner was stateside last week promoting the final season of “Downton Abbey” and appeared on “The Late Show” and “Watch What Happens Live.” She was photographed at London’s Heathrow airport on Thursday when she left abruptly to be by Dineen’s side, People said.

Also last week, Dockery and her costars were nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for peformance by an ensemble cast in a television drama.

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