Kaley Cuoco delivered an emotional tribute to her late television father John Ritter at a Los Angeles gala on Saturday evening. The actress appeared at the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health’s annual Evening From the Heart event, where she reminisced about her time working with the beloved actor on the sitcom “8 Simple Rules.” Ritter died in 2003 from a thoracic aortic dissection while on the show’s set, a condition affecting the heart’s main artery.
Visibly moved during her remarks, Cuoco recounted meeting Ritter for the first time at a table read when she was just 16 years old. She described wearing a particularly revealing outfit to the reading, which prompted Ritter to remove his jacket and place it on her shoulders, telling her never to dress that way again. The interaction left a lasting impression on the young actress, who appeared on the show’s first season and part of the second before Ritter’s unexpected passing at age 54.
Cuoco emphasized the profound impact of losing her on-screen parent, describing it as one of the worst days of her life. Despite the blurred lines between her television and personal connection to Ritter, she credited him with shaping her career trajectory. The gala, hosted by Ritter’s widow Amy Yasbeck and his son Tyson, featured appearances from his former “Wings” co-stars and “Three’s Company” actress Joyce DeWitt, who announced an upcoming national tour of table reads benefiting the foundation.
Originally reported by Variety →
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