Who is Edmund White’s husband Michael Carroll? All about prolific author’s family as he dies at 85

Edmund White passed away on June 3, 2025, at 85, his husband Michael Carroll confirmed, per The New York Times.

The celebrated author, known for his contributions to gay literature, was at his home on Tuesday evening when he died. According to The Guardian, White’s agent told the newspaper that he was waiting for an ambulance and was dealing with gastrointestinal issues at the time.

The acclaimed novelist, whose shot to fame was his semi-autobiographical book A Boy's Own Story, lived in Manhattan, New York, with Michael Carroll. Edmund White married his spouse, an aspiring writer at the time, in November 2013, after beginning their relationship in 1995. He is survived by Carroll, and his sister Margaret Ann, per NYT.

Michael Carroll published his short story collection Little Reef in 2014. His debut literary work earned him the Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction. Five years later, the Jacksonville, Florida native authored Stella Maris: And Other Key West Stories.

In a 2014 conversation with Fiction Writers Review, Michael Carroll talked about Edmund White’s health struggles, who had suffered a series of strokes a few years back and was hospitalized. The aspiring writer became the caregiver for his spouse, while his health crisis inspired five stories of Little Reef. He told Alden Jones (Fiction Writers Review),

“I had very little time to create architectures for purely fictional stories while I was helping Ed recover, attending him in the hospital. I would go see him and stay with him every day then go home exhausted and drink wine and fret, until I was ready to write about my feelings and what was happening.”

According to The New York Times, Edmund White was HIV positive since the ‘80s and survived two strokes and a heart attack in 2012 and 2014, respectively. During the 2014 chat with Fiction Writers Review, Michael Carroll, who was Ed’s caregiver during his health crisis, also talked about how it shaped their relationship,

“When Ed had a series of strokes a couple years ago, I became a caregiver. And then his influence on me solidified as an interlocutor. We talk about things philosophically, and it’s less about influence, per se. We are like close friends who are ready for each other, ready to be there. And that has been the most important thing.”

The couple remained together for almost three decades until The Beautiful Room Is Empty author passed away in June 2025.

Michael Carroll and Edmund White had an open marriage

The Farewell Symphony author was openly gay for decades before he met his future husband. He was pretty candid about being in a relationship with many men throughout his lifetime and even claimed the figure to be 3,000, according to The Guardian. He remained in an open relationship with Michael Carroll and even mentioned “chatting up different boys” during an interview with NYT in 2020.

Edmund White was also opposed to gay marriage initially but became a supporter eventually. He explained in a 2014 interview with The Nation,

“First, I was opposed to gay marriage because it seemed like one more way that gays were wanting to assimilate. When I realized the Christian right was so opposed to it, as well as tyrannical governments in Africa and Russia, I thought, ‘It must be a good thing to fight for.’”

He also confessed about his marriage to Michael Carroll and added,

“I got married in November [2013] to my friend Michael Carroll, whom I’ve been with for nineteen years. At least we didn’t rush into it.”

Earlier this year, Edmund White had a conversation with The Guardian about his fifth memoir, The Loves of My Life, and revealed about his spouse’s lover, who lived with them. The author said,

“Michael has a full-time lover who lives with us. We’re very, very close, but not s*xually.”

Months after the publication of The Loves of My Life, White passed away.

Trending

Follow SoapCentral for more updates.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback