Additional Coverage:
- John Ritter’s Widow Amy Yasbeck Opens Up About What Went Wrong the Night He Died At Age 54 (parade.com)
In 2003, actor John Ritter, best known for his role on the hit series Three’s Company, tragically passed away at the age of 54 due to an acute aortic dissection. More than 20 years later, his widow, actress Amy Yasbeck, is speaking out about what she believes was a critical medical misdiagnosis that contributed to his untimely death.
Yasbeck shared in a recent interview that on the night Ritter fell ill while filming the ABC sitcom 8 Simple Rules, doctors initially diagnosed him with a heart attack after he arrived at the hospital complaining of chest pain. However, no imaging tests were performed to confirm the diagnosis.
“They just assumed it was a heart attack because he fit the profile and had chest pain,” Yasbeck explained. “So they treated him with blood thinners and other medications appropriate for that condition.”
In reality, Ritter was suffering from an aortic dissection-a tear in the inner layer of the aorta-which requires a very different approach. Yasbeck noted, “It wasn’t a blockage in his heart; it was a tear in his aorta. Unfortunately, the treatment he received that night worsened his condition.”
Following his death, Yasbeck pursued a wrongful death lawsuit alleging misdiagnosis, but a jury ultimately ruled in favor of the remaining defendants in 2008.
Determined to prevent others from facing a similar fate, Yasbeck founded the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health. The organization focuses on raising awareness about thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections, improving early detection, and advancing treatment methods.
In a poignant moment, Yasbeck recounted a recent visit to a hospital with a friend experiencing chest pain. Medical staff ordered a CT scan to rule out what they referred to informally as “the John Ritter thing,” unaware they were speaking with Ritter’s widow.
“I love that it’s become a kind of shorthand among doctors,” Yasbeck said. “Call it whatever you want-it means people are paying attention.”
This conversation comes during Aortic Dissection Awareness Week, observed September 13-19, and just days after the foundation’s annual Evening from the Heart LA gala. The event featured a reunion of Yasbeck’s Wings co-stars Tony Shalhoub, Steven Weber, and Tim Daly, along with appearances by Ritter’s family and celebrities like Joyce DeWitt, Kaley Cuoco, and Maureen McCormick. Funds raised support research, public education, and medical provider training related to aortic health.
Ritter’s son, Tyler Ritter, who joined his mother for the interview, shared that due to his family history, he now undergoes annual scans as a precaution.
“Our mission is that he will be the last in our family to suffer from a dissection,” Tyler said.
For Amy Yasbeck, spreading awareness is a vital part of her late husband’s legacy. “There was a kind of ‘before John Ritter’ and ‘after John Ritter’ awareness of aortic dissection,” she reflected. “Sadly, John passed away just before that awareness became widespread.”