Katey Sagal recounts John Ritter's final day and his sudden 2003 death

Katey Sagal recalled that she and John Ritter were doing a press interview around four p.m. on September 11, 2003, just hours before he collapsed on the set of "8 Simple Rules." He was taken to a hospital where doctors first thought he had suffered a heart attack, but the cause of death was later identified as a thoracic aortic dissection. Sagal described the loss as "mind-blowing" and said she continues to sense his spirit, noting his love of laughter and his occasional darker side.

She also remembered his playful jokes about facial expressions on set. The sitcom responded by bringing in James Garner and David Spade as new characters, but it was cancelled after its third season due to low ratings. Ritter left behind his wife Amy Yasbeck, their son Noah Lee, and three adult children—Jason, Tyler and Carly—from his previous marriage to Nancy Morgan.