Susan Lucci Reflects on Grief After the Loss of Her Husband

For decades, television audiences watched Susan Lucci command the screen as Erica Kane, a character who survived scandals, heartbreak, and outrageous twists with fearless resolve. Yet none of Erica’s dramatic trials could compare to the private loss Lucci faced after the death of her husband, Helmut Huber, in 2022. After 52 years of marriage, his passing reshaped her life in ways no script ever could.

Now, Susan Lucci is speaking candidly about grief, love, and the long road toward healing. In a deeply personal interview, she reflects on vulnerability, loneliness, and the quiet strength it takes to keep moving forward. According to People, these reflections form the emotional core of her new book, La Lucci, where memory and mourning intertwine.

Susan Lucci and Life After a 52-Year Love Story

Susan Lucci met Helmut Huber when she was just 22, and their bond became the foundation of her adult life. After his death, she describes feeling unmoored, suddenly aware of how deeply intertwined their lives had been. Grief, she explains, arrived with an isolating force, even as friends surrounded her with care and support.

Susan Lucci on the cover of People’s Magazine/X

Writing became both refuge and release. Much of La Lucci took shape in quiet, sleepless moments, when thoughts surfaced unfiltered. Susan Lucci recalls feeling as though she had lost not only her partner but also a sense of identity. Acting, once central to her world, briefly felt distant and unfamiliar during the earliest stages of mourning.

Remembering Helmut Huber and Choosing Joy Again

Susan Lucci dress — EBBIE, starring Susan Lucci, aired December 4, 1995. ©Lifetime Television/Courtesy Everett Collection

In her book, Susan Lucci writes with tenderness about the everyday moments she shared with Huber, from morning coffee to family gatherings. She remembers his humor, his love of cooking, and the calm reassurance he brought into her life. These memories now serve as anchors, grounding her when waves of grief resurface.

2 March 2023—Los Angeles, California—Susan Lucci. NBC’s “Carol Burnett: 90 Years Of Laughter & Love” birthday special was held at Avalon Hollywood & Bardot in Los Angeles. Photo Credit: AdMedia

Today, Susan Lucci approaches each morning with intention. She does not resist sorrow when it appears, acknowledging that certain moments, especially holidays, still carry emotional weight. Yet she also seeks joy in work, travel, and time with her children and grandchildren. The words Huber once repeated to her—“After the rain, the sun shines”—remain a source of comfort, reminding her that healing does not erase love but carries it forward.