What Katey Sagal Remembers Most About John Ritter’s Final Day on ‘8 Simple Rules’

Katey Sagal has never forgotten the day she lost her friend and 8 Simple Rules costar John Ritter. More than two decades after his sudden death, the actress reflected on the heartbreaking events of that day during an appearance on the podcast Where Everybody Knows Your Name with Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson (Sometimes), recalling not only being with Ritter during his final hours but also the lasting impact he continues to have on her life.

The cast had completed just three episodes of 8 Simple Rules‘ second season when tragedy struck. On September 11, 2003, Ritter collapsed on the set of the comedy after filming promotional material. His condition was initially believed to be a heart attack, but doctors later determined he had suffered an aortic dissection from an undiagnosed tear in the main artery leading from the heart. He was 54.