John Ritter provided his fans and colleagues with so many laughs throughout his career that his sudden passing in 2003 left a huge hole in many hearts.
But no one has been hurt as much as his widow, Amy Yasbeck, who to this day remains faithful to the late love of his life and has good reason for it.
Ritter's first major television success came on Three's Company, a beloved sitcom about three single roommates that aired from 1977 to 1984. The actor's charisma on the series was undeniable and even earned him a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe. His next big step on television was 8 Simple Rules... for Dating My Teenage Daughter, which was later renamed 8 Simple Rules due to the actor's untimely death.
One of the most influential roles for Ritter and that most affected his personal life was that of Ben Healy Jr. in the famous 1990 comedy Adorable Creature and its sequel. John's co-star in these films was Amy Yasbeck, who became his second wife and was, possibly, his soulmate.
When Ritter met Yasbeck on the set of PAdorable Creature, he was married to his first wife, Nancy Morgan. The couple was married from 1977 to 1996 and had three children together: Jason, Carly and Tyler. The chronology of John and Amy's relationship is not known exactly, but what we do know is that they married in 1999, just a year after welcoming a child together.
After getting married, Amy and John lived in complete happiness, but this was cut short in 2003, when he died of a heart attack. Four years together were not enough for the couple and, to this day, Yasbeck is inconsolable and misses him dearly.
In 2022, almost two decades after losing John, Amy said she still couldn't get over him and rejected the idea of dating someone: “I don't date... I think I would miss John more if I dated, as weird as that is.” that sounds. But because he always feels like he is with me, and that would be strange because in that case, three are not company.”
The late actor's family was not the only one affected by his death. Throughout his career, he had touched so many lives that the pain of his absence resonated with many of his colleagues. His Scrubs son, Zach Braff, called him a “comic hero,” while Three’s Company co-star Joyce DeWitt said he was “impossible to forget.” “Impossible not to love him.”
John's loss also greatly affected his latest show 8 Simple Rules... for Dating My Teenage Daughter. The actor began to experience serious problems with his heart in 2003, while rehearsing one of the episodes. Ritter was rushed to the hospital, but his condition worsened and doctors were ultimately unable to save him. Since he was the protagonist of the series, the writers had to include the sudden death of his character, which affected the entire plot for the rest of the series.
In 2010, Yasbeck wrote a heartfelt book in honor of her late husband titled With Love and Laughter, John Ritter, which is how she used to sign autographs for her fans. Amy explained that after losing John so suddenly, she had to struggle a lot with the pain, so she channeled all of her emotions into writing and documenting the process of healing and being a mother at the same time. She also noted that the book is a combination of biography and self-help.
Amy also created the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health to help raise awareness about aortic dissection, which was the ultimate cause of her husband's death. Yasbeck's love for John Ritter and his constant loyalty to him remind us of the late Steve Irwin and his wife Terri. Terri Irwin also suffered the sudden loss of the love of her life, and although her children encourage her to date again, her efforts remain fruitless.
