Meredith Gaudreau had “a bad gut feeling” before hearing the news of husband Johnny Gaudreau’s death.
During the Thursday, March 12, episode of Kylie Kelce’s “Not Gonna Lie” podcast, Meredith recalled the night she found out that Johnny had died.
Meredith told listeners that Johnny’s uncle was the one who delivered the news of his death, but “he didn’t even have to say it,” she explained. “It was just, like, a look.”
Johnny and his brother, Matthew Gaudreau, were involved in a fatal biking accident in August 2024. They were 31 and 29, respectively. Sean M. Higgins has been accused of killing both hockey players, admitting to drinking prior to the accident. Higgins is facing several charges, including first-degree aggravated manslaughter, two counts of second-degree reckless vehicular homicide, one count of tampering with physical evidence (fourth-degree) and leaving the scene of a fatal accident (second-degree).
He has filed to have some charges dismissed and has a hearing set for April 14.
“I was at my parents’ house and just got a call, like, ‘Come over.’ I didn’t know at all what happened,” Meredith said on Thursday. “When I got there, though, there [were] a lot of cop cars out front and it was starting to rain.”
Initially, Meredith was told there was an incident involving Matthew, and her concern was helping Johnny “get through” whatever happened to his brother.
“I was making all these phone calls because John didn’t have his phone on him,” she recalled. “He left his phone at his parents’ house. So I was like, ‘I have no clue what’s going on.’”
She added, “And just hit me like a ton of bricks. I remember being like, ‘This can’t be real.’”
Meredith said she remembers that day “like it was yesterday” even though it’s been nearly two years since Johnny died.
“[It’s] something that can’t stop playing in my head, but it doesn’t feel real still,” she added. “Some people said it’s like a defense mechanism.”
Meredith and Johnny wed in September 2021. They share three kids (their third was born after Johnny died). Meredith and Johnny welcomed daughter Noa in September 2022, and son Johnny Jr. was born in February 2024.
Meredith was pregnant with the couple’s third baby when Johnny died. Their son Carter was born in April 2025.
“I was glad he golfed that day with his brother and his dad,” Meredith said on Thursday. “Then they were just having a little barbecue out by the pool that night.”
