John Ritter’s Widow Speaks About Her Husband’s Death 20 Years Later

The late John Ritter’s breakthrough role was Jack Tripper in the fan-favorite TV sitcom Three’s Company (1977-1984), his brilliant performance in the series earned him an Emmy and a Golden Globe award. Sadly, Ritter’s promising life was cut short following a sudden illness on September 11, 2003, at 54 years.

It’s been two decades since then, and his widow, Amy Yasbeck, whom he married four years before his tragic death, recently spoke out about the circumstances surrounding his demise and how his 8 Simple Rules co-star Kaley Cuoco has been helping with the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health.

Amy Yasbeck speaks about her late husband

During a recent interview with Fox News Digital, the 61-year-old shared an intriguing revelation about her husband’s death. She stated that Ritter experienced a sudden health decline during the production of an episode of 8 Simples Rules that he was working on. “John was working on a sitcom, and during the workday, he had chest pain,” she told the news outlet. “Pain in his back, ripping chest pain and nausea.”

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Yasbeck clarified that when Ritter fell ill, the producer quickly took him to the emergency room, where he was initially treated for a heart attack. However, the actor was later diagnosed with thoracic aortic dissection, which was the underlying condition that ultimately resulted in his death.

Amy Yasbeck says John Ritter’s co-star, Kaley Cuoco, is helping to sustain the late actor’s legacy

Yasbeck shared that following her tragic loss, she took the initiative to create the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health to increase awareness about aortic health issues. “If you’ve been diagnosed, or you need to talk to somebody who’s been in the same situation,” she explained to Fox News Digital, “we have the aorta advocates and then ‘Ritter Rules,’ which is a set of rules for understanding what your risk is.”

Yasbeck added that Kaley Cuoco, Ritter’s co-star on the ABC sitcom 8 Simple Rules, has played a pivotal role in the Foundation’s running. For the Foundation’s upcoming event next year, Cuoco and her partner, Tom Pelphrey, will be the chairs.