She was on our screens daily throughout the ‘90s, and it’s been a while since we’ve laid eyes on Ricki Lake. Sadly, within that time, the talk show host has endured plenty of heartache.
Ricki, 49, appeared on ITV’s Loose Women this week, speaking candidly about ex-husband Christian Evans, who died by suicide last February.
The pair, who wed in 2012, divorced in 2015. They maintained a great relationship, however, with Ricki describing him as her ‘twin flame’.
“I was in London when I got the news that my husband had committed suicide in the States. It’s very cathartic for me to be here,” she recalled.
At the time, Ricki took to Instagram to reveal the devastating news and pay tribute to Christian.
“It is with a heavy heart that I share that my beloved soulmate, Christian Evans, has passed,” she wrote, beside a photo of them embracing.
“The world didn’t understand this man, but I did. He succumbed to his life-long struggle with bipolar disorder.
“For anyone who has ever lost a family member or friend to mental illness, my heart goes out to you.”
Opening up about life after Christian, Ricki described the past seven months as ‘her darkest days’.
“I’m wearing my wedding ring, and he would want me to go on, and now my newest cause is talking about mental illness and suicide prevention. It’s really an honour to be here to honour him,” she told the panel.
“Life goes on. I am suffering a great loss – he was my twin flame, the only thing other than my two children that mattered to me.”
Ricki is mum to 20-year-old Milo and 16-year-old Owen; her sons from her previous marriage, to Rob Sussman.
Well done to Ricki for opening up about such a heart-breaking subject in such a public forum. We are sure that by speaking out, she will help a lot of other families touched by mental illness and suicide.
