Australian Actor Ben Lewis's Wife Was a Big Part of the Theater Before Her Unexpected Stroke

On Oct. 6, 2025, film and theater actor Ben Lewis died following a battle with bowel cancer. He was 46. Ben is survived by his wife, and they did not have kids together. But those who may not have closely followed his career after his role as the Phantom in Love Never Dies might be wondering who Ben Lewis was married to before his death.

In 2024, per Broadway World, Ben shared his diagnosis publicly. In July 2025, Ben's family started a GoFundMe to help with costs related to his treatments. At the time, Ben had undergone chemotherapy and was headed toward targeted inhibitor treatment. The fundraiser reached more than $184,000, close to its $200,000 goal, and continued bringing in donations after Ben's death.

Ben married fellow theater actor Melle Stewart during their respective acting careers. According to Daily Mail, the pair met in the '90s at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. They later began dating and eventually got married. They shared a love of the theater, and they both continued working until their individual health struggles prevented them from doing so.

While Ben is known for starring in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera and the movie Love Never Dies as the same character, Melle left her mark on the industry, too. She is likely best known for her role in a stage production of Mamma Mia! The couple even performed together at least once in the 2016 play Ladies in Black.

In 2021, Melle suffered a stroke at the age of 40. At the time, a GoFundMe had been set up to help Ben with medical expenses related to her care. Until his death in 2025, he remained her primary carer and, it seemed, he had retired from acting to be able to properly care for Melle in their home. Per the GoFundMe that was posted at the time of Melle's stroke, she woke up in the middle of the night after one side of her body went numb. After having seizures, she was taken to the hospital.

"Melle was formally diagnosed with Vaccine-Induced Thrombocytopenic Thrombosis (VITT)," the GoFundMe said, as an explanation for the stroke she had two weeks after she received the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. Later, an Instagram fan page for Ben shared an alleged update from Melle about her health.

"I currently have multiple speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy sessions every week," Melle wrote in 2022, according to the post. "All of these sessions are helping me regain strength in my leg. my arm, and of course, my speech. Despite the issues I've had due to the AstraZeneca vaccine, I am proud to say that I have gone on to receive multiple doses of the Pfizer vaccine, and I remain a staunch advocate for vaccination."